Grain producers do not rely on Minister Sarbu’s estimate

Major grain producers in Romania are doubtful about the 5.2 million ton wheat production announced by Minister of Agriculture Ilie Sarbu, to which one million tons is added from households. They say that the real quantity is less than four million tons, if not half of the 7.5 million tons obtained in 2008. The reasons for this decline are frost, drought, and rains.


“Five million tons is a lot. In reality I believe there are some 3.5 million tons,” said Culita Tarata, the largest grain producer in Romania, who administers some 66,000 hectares of agricultural land, adding that the quality of Romanian wheat has been poor for several years.

Culita previously announced that this year’s drought, the worst in the past ten years, will cut his business at group level by nearly 40 percent compared to the €65 mln posted in 2008.

Another major grain producer, Mihai Anghel, owner of Cerealcom Dolj, also doubts the figures announced by Sarbu. He said that subsidies are good, provided they reach producers on time.

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