Agriculture: MKOR & ALCEDO Study: 1 out of 5 farmers have irrigations, but only half plan investments by 2028

Drought, the number one challenge for farmers, exceeding by 30% preoccupations for imput costs 73% of farmers already diversify cultures, while 71% introduce drought resistant varieties 86% of farmers have concrete development plans for 2026-2028, laying accent on new technologies and climate resilience measures Irrigations become mandatory; only 23% of farms already have automatic irrigation systems , while 48% are planning to invest in such equipment.   Agriculture in Romania is at an inflection point , where adaptation to climate changes is no longer an option, but an essential condition for survival and profitability. According to the study “Farmer in 2026: Priorities, Challenges and Prospects” made by MIKOR for ALCEDO, the longest lasting brand in Romanian agribusiness, drought has become the main challenge of modern agriculture.   The study, made in September 2025 on a representative sample of 250 decision makers in farms of at least 100 ha, shows that most of them have already started implementing strategic adaptation measures, with priority on resilience and investments in technology.   Climate, from exception to zero priority   External climate factors, especially drought, dominate the top of challenges faced by farmers. Extreme climate phenomena, are seen as being 30% more critical than traditional financial challenges, such as input costs or sales price pressure.   The signal is clear: farmers no longer treat climate as an occasional variable, but as a business constant that needs strategic planning.   The farmers' reaction to climate pressure is concrete: 73% have already diversified costs to reduce risk 71% have introduced variants resistant to drought or climate changes 63% have reduced the cultivated area, preferring to grow less but safer   Over half (54%) of them have used financial solutions (credits, cooperatives, compensations with cereals) to back these changes. On the other hand, investments in irrigations and water preserving technologies are limited: only 37% have implemented such infrastructure measures.   In development plans for 2026-2028, the direction is clear: 86% of respondents have investment plans concentrated on technology and expansion. Investments in new farming equipment and technologies are first (66%), followed by new land purchases (63%) or leasing (50%). Irrigations and digitalization are mandatory investments for the future.   Although basic equipping for treatments (85%) and storage areas (74%) are broadly used, modern infrastructure is still young. Only 23% of farms analyzed have automatic irrigation systems and only 21% use digital monitoring systems.   Awareness for this deficit is high. For 2026-2028, investments in irrigation and water preservation systems represent a priority for about half of farmers (48%), confirming the fact that performing agriculture can no longer exist without a controlled management of water and resources.   Study data clearly send us a message: the climate is no longer a variable you can negotiate with, but a constant around which one must build the whole farming business. The fact that about half of farmers intend to invest in irrigation systems or water preservation technologies, although only 23% have them now, shows that there is a high risk awareness, but also an urgent need of concrete solutions. I am glad to see that important players in agribusiness understand the value of land information and farmers' perceptions – because the best decisions are made in an informed way, where reality and data meet., said Cori Cimpoca, MKOR founder.   Although farms with areas of 100-299 ha are most often found (67%), the study shows that average farms (300-999 ha, 28%), stand out with a higher adaptation and investment rate.   Average farms combine resources needed for investments with the agility of implementing decisions, without the bureaucracy specific of very large operations. This segment reacts rapidly to climate and market changes and can be considered a relevant indicator of future tendencies in Romanian modern agriculture.