Agriculture minister has asked the European Commission for urgent compensation for drought damage

The minister of agriculture, Florin Barbu notified the commissionaire Janusz Wojciechowski in July this year that extended surfaces in Romania are affected by drought and required the European Commission, in a letter sent on 7th August urgent compensation in view of the significant damage caused to farmers, says the agriculture ministry.The reaction of the institution comes following the statements of some Romanian MEPs according to whom they required European funds to support the farmers and the Romanian communities affected by drought.In the context, the ministry of agriculture says that Florin Barbu notified the European Commissionaire for agriculture and rural development, Janusz Wojciechowski since 15th July 2024 during the Council AGRIFISH that extended surfaces in Romania are affected by drought, the loss of income for the agricultural producers endangering the economic viability of the farms and the security interests of the country."The significant damage caused by adverse climatic events requires urgent compensation on the basis of an exceptional measure to help solve the specific problems resulting from these events," reads the letter sent to the EC by the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (MADR), Florin Barbu, on August 7. According to the MADR, the total estimated budget of up to €75.2 million for crops planted in the fall of 2023 must be urgently reimbursed to farmers. "In this regard, the MADR considers that it is necessary that the entire amount can be paid to the affected producers, on the basis of a single Community legal act that includes technical rules and sources of funding both those of the European Union and additional national aid. Also, the spring-summer of 2024 was characterized by a massive lack of precipitation, by a higher than usual air temperature regime in almost the whole country, even particularly high in lowland areas. These phenomena have affected crops planted in the spring of 2024, in particular maize and sunflowers, on an estimated area of around 2,000,000 ha nationwide, to the point of compromising crops established in the spring. It is estimated that the average unit value of the losses is between €200 and €230/ha," reads the point of view sent by MADR.