Romania can become a strategic supplier of agri-food products for the region and for Europe; however, realizing this potential requires more competitive farms, cooperation, investment, technology, and a much stronger processing industry, according to interim Finance Minister Alexandru Nazare.

'AgriConnect: A significant capital injection and access to technology for Romanian agriculture, via the World Bank. As part of the economic recovery program, the Ministry of Finance is currently working on a major new agribusiness initiative: financing Romania's agri-food processing industry and small-scale farmers through AgriConnect, a new instrument launched by the World Bank in 2025. Officially announced last October during the World Bank and IMF Annual Meetings, AgriConnect is one of the institution's key programs for transforming global agriculture. It is a program with major global impact, particularly given that the World Bank also announced late last year its intention to double annual agribusiness funding to approximately USD 9 billion per year by 2030,' Alexandru Nazare wrote on his Facebook page on Thursday.

According to the official cited, the program entered the implementation phase this year with the first national framework agreements negotiated with governments, and Romania—through the Ministry of Finance—initiated dialogue on this matter as early as the World Bank Group and IMF meeting last autumn.

'This week, alongside Deputy Prime Minister Tanczos Barna—the interim Minister of Agriculture—I continued discussions with the World Bank team led by Marcelo Castellanos, the Group's Country Manager for Romania, regarding how we can support small farmers in transitioning from subsistence farming to viable, profitable activities through AgriConnect. One of the main issues facing Romanian agriculture is that while we produce a great deal, we process and capitalize on too little of it. Far too many small farmers lack access to capital, storage, logistics, technology, or stable markets, and a significant portion of the value added is lost before the products reach the consumer. I requested that the AgriConnect project for Romania be built around the real needs of the local sector, complement European funds—rather than duplicate them—and support the entire agri-food supply chain: from the farm to processing, storage, packaging, distribution, and export. To boost the development of Romanian agriculture, we must facilitate the creation of tailored financial instruments—such as working capital, investment financing, and equity funds—that enable companies to grow. Through the IFC (International Finance Corporation)—the World Bank Group arm dedicated to the private sector—we can also attract private capital, expertise, and international partners,' stated Alexandru Nazare.

He explained that one of the key criteria for operationalizing this financing instrument is that every public resource utilized must generate a multiplier effect in the economy—more processing within Romania, jobs, exports, higher incomes for farmers, and more value added retained in the country.

'The program must be rigorously prepared and implemented in stages so as to support agricultural development without disrupting the path of fiscal consolidation. Romania has the potential to become a strategic supplier of agri-food products for the region and for Europe. However, this potential does not automatically translate into results. We need more competitive farms, greater cooperation, investment, technology, and a much stronger processing industry. The goal of AgriConnect for Romania is to transform Romanian agriculture from a sector that primarily exports raw materials into one that produces, processes, and exports value. The Ministry of Finance is focused on ensuring that the facilities provided by international financial institutions actually reach the real economy. We need financial instruments that mobilize private capital, generate a multiplier effect throughout the value chain, and align with Romania's commitments regarding public finance sustainability,' Alexandru Nazare added. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: George Banciulea; EN - writing by: Catalin Cristian Trandafir)