Romanian Min Blames Farmers For Setbacks In Country’s Agricultural Sector

Romania’s agriculture minister Ilie Sarbu on Saturday said Romania’s attempt, during 2001-2004, to adopt a law meant to unite plots of land failed after meeting farmers’ strong opposition.

The minister said small farmers were not at all happy with the measure meant to unite land plots because many of them are still reluctant to "farming production cooperatives," although they were disbanded 20 years ago.

Sarbu also stressed the harsh statements on Romania’s ailing agriculture, included in the new Country Partnership Strategy (CPS) with Romania recently launched by the World Bank, do not bring out any new aspects whatsoever.


"The World Bank report does not bring out any new aspects and information, there are things we already know. Romania’s attempt during 2001-2004 to adopt a law meant to unite land plots failed, just like the life annuity measure failed," Sarbu said.

The minister also said the report fails to say there are two types of agriculture in Romania, namely, the large one based on companies that produce for the market, and the subsistence agriculture, stressing the World Bank must have referred to the latter.

BM said in the new CSP that Romania’s agriculture is fragmented and obsolete, stressing it needs major investments in what concerns competitiveness and the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) whose aim is to provide farmers with a reasonable standard of living, consumers with quality food at fair prices and to preserve rural heritage.

On July 16, the World Bank launched a new Country Partnership Strategy CPS with Romania, which sets the framework of the institution’s program on the local market for 2009-2013.

“As the global financial crisis exerts a huge strain on the Romanian economy and society, the strategy sets out how the World Bank Group will support Romania's efforts to restore sources of sustainable and equitable growth in order to emerge from the crisis on a stronger foothold, while reducing the immediate impact of the crisis on the poor, the World Bank said in a statement.

The World Bank’s program will support the government's goals of further EU convergence, mainly focusing on reforming the public sector, encouraging growth and competitiveness, and promoting social inclusion, according to World Bank’s statement.

The Bank also plans to offer support for returning to growth through an improved business environment, skillful labor force, a better infrastructure network and a more efficient agriculture.

Romania and the International Monetary Fund, or IMF, signed in May a EUR12.95 billion two-year stand-by arrangement, as part of a EUR19.95 billion financial support package that also includes funds from the European Commission, the World Bank, the European Investment Bank, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.