Romanian farmers have harvested 1.9 million tonnes of sunflower seeds this autumn, a record and a year-on-year increase of 60 percent.

This is the highest sunflower seed crop among all EU economies, bringing Romania into first place in the EU, according to local business daily Ziarul Financiar.

“Sunflower and rapeseed crops are the most profitable and have always been. The productivity was good to very good this year due to the weather conditions,” said Arnaud Charmenant, administrator of Tudor 92 farm located in Calarasi, quoted by Ziarul Financiar.

One of the main factors that triggered the productivity increase was the good weather, with other economies in the region recording higher growth rates compared to countries located in Western Europe.

For example, Bulgaria’s sunflower production went up 30 percent this autumn, compared to only a 6 percent increase in France.

Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com

(photo source: Sxc.hu)