In the period May-September 2023, when the European Commission (EC) imposed restrictions on the import of Ukrainian grains, the monthly average of Ukrainian wheat imports to Romania increased from 88,000 tonnes to 100,000 tonnes instead of decreasing, stated Cezar Gheorghe, a grain trade expert and founder of AgriColumn consulting firm, in an interview with G4Media.

The anomaly was caused by the faulty implementation of restrictive measures by the Romanian authorities.

Separately, the prices paid by Romanian farmers for transportation have doubled since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, and in the Port of Constanța, the delivery periods of Romanian grains are delayed by up to two months, Cezar Gheorghe says.

A train can wait up to a month in Constanța Port for unloading, a truck can wait ten days, and 400-500 barges are waiting on the water, the expert said. 

After the lifting of restrictions by the EC, in order to avoid the domestic market being invaded by Ukrainian goods, Romania needs a well-established quota-based licensing system with complex verification mechanisms at all points of the border, the expert concludes.

(Photo: Denys Kovtun/ Dreamstime)

iulian@romania-insider.com