Romania could mark this year the lowest corn production since 2015, after harvesting only 4.88 million tonnes from 1.8 million hectares or 80% of the sown area, according to the statistics office INS. 

So far, this has resulted in an average yield per hectare of 2.6 tonnes, lower than the average of 3.2 tonnes per hectare in 2022, the weakest year for maize production since 2015, Economica.net reported.

Last year, by the same date, Romanian farmers collected 8.5 million tonnes from 82.9% of the cultivated area. 

Estimates based on the average yield so far, this year's total production could reach approximately 5.9 million tonnes.

Romania also lost its leading position among European exporters after a drop of more than 76% in deliveries to third markets.

In 2023, according to official data, Romania exported a total of 5.3 million tonnes of maize worth EUR 1.5 billion. 

iulian@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Dreamstime.com)