Romania’s cereal production in 2024 was 14.7% lower than in 2023, reaching just 17.87 million tonnes, compared to 20.5 million tonnes the previous year. This marks the lowest grain production in the past decade, according an Economica analysis based on data from the National Institute of Statistics (INS).
Key figures for 2024 include:
- Wheat: 9.29 million tonnes (down from 9.6 million tonnes in 2023)
- Maize: 5.99 million tonnes (down from 8.5 million tonnes in 2023)
- Barley and two-row barley: 2.19 million tonnes (up from 2 million tonnes in 2023)
- Oats: 145,000 tonnes (down from 155,000 tonnes in 2023)
- Grain legumes: 126,000 tonnes (down from 164,000 tonnes in 2023, a 30% decline)
Additionally, oilseed production also dropped significantly, reaching only 2.95 million tonnes in 2024, a 28% decrease from the previous year. This includes:
- Sunflower seeds: 1.49 million tonnes (down from 2 million tonnes in 2023, a 34% decline)
- Soybeans: 295,000 tonnes (down from 300,000 tonnes)
- Rapeseed: 1.16 million tonnes (down from 1.7 million tonnes)
The potato harvest also declined, with production reaching 968,000 tonnes in 2024, down from 1 million tonnes in 2023. Vegetable production also fell, totaling 2.06 million tonnes, compared to 2.4 million tonnes the previous year.
Positive Price Trends Offer Partial Relief Amid Production Declines
Despite this challenging production year, the fourth quarter of 2024 brought some relief to farmers in terms of prices. The average price of agricultural output at the farm gate in the EU increased by 2.2% compared with the same quarter in 2023, marking the first increase since the second quarter of 2023. Notably, Romania recorded one of the sharpest price increases at +11.0%, alongside Ireland (+18.4%) and Hungary (+14.9%).
In contrast, the average price of inputs not related to investment, such as energy, fertilizers, and feedingstuffs, decreased by 2.7% compared with the fourth quarter of 2023. However, this was a smaller decline than in the preceding six quarters. Romania, Hungary, and the Netherlands were the only EU countries to record price increases in this category, with Romania seeing a 2.6% rise.
This sharp decline in agricultural output, coupled with fluctuating input costs, reflects the ongoing challenges faced by Romanian farmers, including increased fuel and fertilizer costs, and volatile global grain prices. These factors have not only reduced yields but also put significant financial pressure on farmers.
