Retail stores in Romania have over 85% Romanian products on their shelves, says the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Florin Barbu, and recommends that consumers choose products processed in our country.

'It depends on what we buy, Romanian products are. I have always urged Romanian consumers that when they go to retail stores, but also to other neighborhood stores and markets in Romania, to identify the labels and buy products processed in Romania and products made by our producers. There are over 85% Romanian products in retail stores. There is a study done in this regard', the Minister of Agriculture declared to AGERPRES.

The MADR official claims that, despite the consistent offers of imported vegetables during this period, domestic production is gaining ground, considering the investments made in recent years from European funds in greenhouses and solariums.

'Of course, during this period we know what the climate is like here. In other countries it is a different climate, the yield is much better, but there are also Romanian tomatoes during this period. I hope that next year, through the projects we have done, through the installation of young farmers and through the projects from European funds for the heating of greenhouses and solariums, we will recover from the winter gap of imported vegetables,' Barbu specified.

The minister stressed that this year was a 'record' one in terms of financing for crops in protected areas, with the allocated funds exceeding 271 million lei. 'This year was a record because we changed the way we financed vegetables in protected areas. We did not only finance tomatoes, we also financed other vegetables. The area has increased significantly, from 1,700 hectares to 3,600 hectares, and the thing that makes me most happy is that farmers no longer divide their farms and, at the moment, can access certain financing, including working capital loans. This is important, because we finance every thousand square meters of the farms,' explained Florin Barbu.

He added that this year a farmer with 5,000 square meters of solariums received aid of 7,500 euros compared to 3,000 euros last year.

'If last year a farmer in the vegetable basin had 5,000 square meters of solariums, he only received a grant of 3,000 euros for 1,000 square meters and only for tomatoes. Starting this year, we have financed every thousand square meters with 1,500 euros. If we do a simple calculation, a farmer in the vegetable basin who exploits an area of 5,000 square meters received a support of 7,500 euros this year, not 3,000 euros. Basically, we tried to reward farmers who have large areas and who bring more vegetables to the retail store and to the markets in Romania, not only tomatoes,' the head of Agriculture pointed out.

In his opinion, the expansion of cultivated areas was directly reflected in the quantities of vegetables obtained, which were found on the market.

'Once the area increased from 1,700 hectares to 3,600 hectares, I am convinced that the quantity also increased, because the program is based on the justification of production. The settlement of the support is made according to the quantity that must be provided as justification: invoices, tax receipts, producer certificates, sales slips. All these quantities are found in the accounting documents of both legal entities and individuals in Romania from the vegetable sector,' added the Minister of Agriculture.

The support program for vegetable growers will continue at least until 2027, the MADR official claims, because it was approved through a multi-annual scheme aimed at providing predictability to farmers. 'The scheme established last year is provided for by Government Decision for a period of 3 years, to give farmers predictability in the crops they want to grow in the next 3 years,' Barbu pointed out.

Regarding animal products, the Minister of Agriculture says that Romania ranks first in the European Union in the export of chicken meat and eggs. 'Data from the National Institute of Statistics shows that in the chicken sector we have a degree of self-sufficiency of 150%. We are first in the European Union in the export of chicken meat and eggs. We are both producers and exporters of chicken meat and eggs, because this year we closed on 5.4 billion eggs in Romania. The consumption rate is 120%,' he said.

However, Barbu argues that statistical data must be interpreted carefully, considering the real figures regarding Romania's population.

'However, we must be aware and make a clear analysis when interpreting the data of the National Institute of Statistics (INS) and other companies. We must take into account that the INS makes the assessment for a population of 19 million. Practically, Romania no longer has 19 million inhabitants. Therefore, the real degree of self-sufficiency is much higher than that reflected in official statistics. Therefore, over a billion eggs can be exported, over 290 million chickens can be exported, because we have a degree of self-sufficiency and we also have a surplus that can be exported,' the MADR official said.

According to the minister, in the first six months, Romania recorded exports of live animals - cattle and sheep - of almost 500 million euros, and by the end of the year the figure should reach one billion euros. 'We saw the same data for the first six months: we exported live animals - cattle and sheep - worth almost 500 million euros and we are closing this year with approximately one billion euros in the trade balance. It is unprecedented. In 2021-2022 it was 200-300 million euros,' Florin Barbu highlighted.

He added that in the last two years, the measures in the National Strategic Program have led to an increase in the number of breeding meat animals, with Romania reaching 'first place in the EU' in this regard. 'Another very good thing: in the last two years, through the measures taken, through the change in the National Strategic Program and through the area payment for silage corn, the support coupled to alfalfa, Romania has the largest number of breeding meat animals in the European Union. In beef cattle, we are in first place, in sheep exports, you know that we had support last year to increase the livestock through a subsidy per lamb of 50 euros and we reached 14.5 million animals declared in the ANSVSA database. I think that, at the moment, Romania is on a very good trend', mentioned the MADR official.

And in the pig breeding sector, the progress is considerable compared to recent years, considers the head of the MARD. 'Through the farms that we have developed for reproduction in the pig sector, but also for fattening through European funds that were investments completed in the 2020-2024 financial year, we have a degree of self-sufficiency for the Christmas holidays in pork. If until 2022 we had a degree of self-sufficiency of 28%, we practically imported almost 70% of pork, this year, through the investments we have had in the last two years at the Ministry of Agriculture, both in the reproduction sector - where we now produce 1.5 million more piglets - and in fattening, through the programs we had in 2020-2024 from European funds, we have reached approximately 52% self-sufficiency,' concluded the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Florin Barbu.AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Mariana Nica, editing by: Nicoleta Banciulea; EN - writing by: Catalin Cristian Trandafir)