Romania’s 2018 wheat production is some 200,000 tons higher than last year, reaching about 10.2 million tons, despite the difficult year and the string of extreme natural events that have swept the country, agriculture minister Petre Daea said on Tuesday, August 28.

He explained that the high temperatures in spring drained the soil after which came heavy rains, which made the harvesting process very difficult, local Agerpres reported. Some farmers said they only had 4 days of good weather during the 30-day harvesting period. However, the minister added that local farmers have equipped their farms with modern equipment, which has allowed them to better manage these problems.

The most productive wheat crops were recorded in Timis county, in Western Romania, where the production reached 6,200 kg per hectare, followed by Arad (6,100 kg/ha) and Bihor (6,095 kg/ha).

The barley crop was also 9.5% higher than last year, at 1.39 million tons. Meanwhile, the rapeseed crops were lower than last year, due to adverse weather conditions.

Last year, Romania recorded a total grain production of 27 million tons. Romania is the fifth-biggest wheat producer in the EU.

editor@romania-insider.com