Romania Loses 50% of the Grain Crop Because of the Drought, Exports Affected

Romania is the largest grain exporter in EU, after France. This year, though, as expected from spring, the drought severely diminished the grain crops by almost 50%.

The Romanian Minister of Agriculture estimated the loss in April, this year:

We estimate a loss of up to 50% of the grain production. The domestic consumption of wheat is around 2-3 million tons a year and around 7 million tons of corn. In the good years, Romania harvests 9 million tons of wheat and 14-15 million tons of corn. We estimate a loss of up to 50%, which means the domestic demand of cereals is still covered.

Romanian Minister of Agriculture

A few days after this statement, the Romanian Government decided to ban cereal exports. After pressures from the European Commission, Romania announced a week later that the internal consumption is met and the exports are allowed once again.

Now, the first reports from the wheat fields show the initial estimations were right: the wheat crop diminished with almost 50%, from 10 million tons in 2019 to 5.4 million tons this year, as the drought severely affected the crops.

The internal consumption of wheat is 2-3 million tons a year, which means that this year Romania will be able to export only 2.4-3.4 million tons of wheat, as compared to almost 6 million tons in the good years.