MADR official: Overall use of chemicals in Romanian agriculture far from extensive

  In Romania, the use of chemicals in agriculture isn't that extensive in comparison to other countries, but there is a problem with the storage of farm waste, public manager with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MADR) Cristian Georgescu told a specialist conference on Wednesday."What the Agriculture Ministry is implementing through the Strategic Plan 2023-2027 is a public policy. What I can tell you is that, compared to the previous rural development programs for the intervals 2007-2013, 2014-2020, the Strategic Plan 2023-2027 comes with a major novelty, in that it brings together for the first time under one umbrella both the interventions financed from the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund and the rural development funds farmers were familiar with under the Rural Development Program. We are talking about 89 interventions, of which 51 are related to direct payments and sectoral programs under Pillar 1, to which 38 interventions for rural development are added. Here we are talking about investment measures in agriculture, environment & climate and so forth," Georgescu said.Asked about the state of play in Romanian agriculture in terms of climate neutrality, Georgescu said that "in general, in Romania the use of chemicals in agriculture isn't that extensive compared to other countries", but that there is an issue with the storage of farm waste."We are trying very hard to make farmers aware of the need for modern waste storage facilities, that they must stop throwing it wherever there's a free spot. We are trying to give them extra score points if they implement projects with environmentally friendly investment components. We are talking about recycling, biomass recycling, circular economy principles. We are trying hard to encourage the reuse of waste and its valorization. There are many specific elements which, combined, lead to this goal, of improving the environmental protection component," Cristian Georgescu explained.Food waste cutting, the goals of the European Green Deal and the role of digital technology in farming are some of the topics approached at the "Eat Smart: Climate Neutral Agriculture" conference organized on Wednesday by the publication Green Report.