Romania produces enough food to ward off any shortage. No Romanian is currently at risk of suffering from hunger or not finding what they need in stores, even if inevitable supply glitches are possible in this period, says the president of the Romanian Farmers Association (AFR) Daniel Botanoiu.
He explained that the decision taken by certain countries to restrict exports of agricultural and food products is understandable where certain staple foods are produced in smaller amounts than domestic consumption. Still, Romania is not in such a situation.
In his opinion, one of the most serious dangers that can arise in such situations is the one related to food overbuying, even if the daily analyses show that Romania is well stocked with agricultural and food products.
Grain fields in Romania
Regarding the stocks of cereals needed for bakery, feed or export, the representative of the farmers’ association confirmed what the authorities have also said: „There are no problems at the moment and we do not see a crisis in the near future”.
Referring to the stocks of sunflower seeds, a topic intensely discussed in recent days in the public space, Botanoiu said Romania has the most significant products in the region, at about a third of the EU’s entire output, well above the Romanians’ consumption needs.
Romania is also one of Europe’s largest producers of protein crops, but still far from its potential, which is why most of the necessary are covered from imports, just like in most European states.
In this context, the Romanian Farmers Association considers that supplementation of the national reserves cannot harm, but rather, on the contrary, it could be an additional safeguard for a longer time.
Speaking about the evolution of the price of cereals and oilseeds on the main European and world stock markets since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the AFR head says that although the prices have been better for farmers, they cannot cover the cost increases with inputs, genetic material, fuels and machinery.
Corn quotations on the Chicago Board of Trade have risen by more than 10% since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine.
Referring to how this war could affect Romanian farmers, Botanoiu said that only a few of them still have something to sell because they lack storage capacities.
