Agriculture: Biggest wheat crop this year since Romania's accession to EU

Romania obtains this year a wheat yield of over 11.33 million tons, the largest crop since its accession to EU, representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MADR) announced on last Wednesday.   Last year, Romania obtained only 6.4 million tons of wheat, the yield being 40% smaller because of drought. The best year since 2007 tp the present are 2017, with 10.03 million tons of wheat, 2018 – 10.14 million tons and 2019 – 10.29 million tons.   “Th exceptional rating”for the 2021 crop granted Romania by GEOGLAM (Group on Earth Observations Global Agricultural Monitoring Initiative) is confirmed by results obtained by Romanian farmers. Until the present day, the star cultures of 2021 that place Romanian farmers in leading positions are: wheat, rape and barley. According to data of August 16, 2021, the overall wheat yield harvested is 11.33 million tons, being the largest yield since Romania joined EU,” MADR informed in a press release.   Average yields above the national average of 5,346 kg/ha, were obtained in the west of the country in Satu Mare, Timis,Bihor, Arad counties and in Olt, Caras Severin, Ialomita, Braila and Botosani counties.   The total yield of barley is 1.88 million tons, in 2021, the biggest since 2007. Years 2017, 2018, 2019 were the best for this culture, when yields exceeded 1.26 million tons.   According to MADR data, the average per hectare yield recorded until August 16 is 5,599 kg/ha, 13 counties exceeding the national average (Bihor, Arad, Galati, Ialomita, Caras Severin, Constanta, Braila, Ol, Mures, Calarasi, Timis, Dolj and Giurgiu).   “For the other cereals – rye, barley,oat, buckwheat- good yields were obtained, so that the total cereal yield exceeds 15 million tons”, MADR representatives say. The biggest average per hectare yield (3,022kg/ha) has been obtained in 2021 for rape since 2007 to the present, thanks to an adequate technology and favorable weather and soil conditions. In 2016, the average was 2,835 kg/ha and in 2020 it was 2,124 kg/ha. According to MADR data supplied at the end of June, in 2020/2021, about 8 million ha were planted, of which 3.107 million ha in autumn 2020 and 4.874 million ha in spring. Although the are programmed for planting in spring 2021 was 5.4 million ha, only 90.12% of the area was covered.   The area seeded in autumn was 3.107 million ha, of which the most important were 2.2 million ha of wheat, 321,912 ha barley and over 430,000 ha rape.