Romania: Romania�s wheat, barley, rape crops could halve this year

The prolonged and acute drought has compromised about half of Romania's grain crops, agriculture minister Adrian Oros estimates.

Some three million hectares sown with wheat, barley, rape, rye have been affected, Wall-street.ro reported. However, the agriculture minister believes that the crops will cover the consumption of the population, and there can be no question of a future food crisis.

"If we get 50-60% of the crops of cereals sown last fall - wheat, barley, rape, rye - it will be fine. Domestic wheat consumption is 2.5-3 million tons, but production in a normal year is 9 million tons. If we harvest 5-6 million tons this year, we will still be fine. Domestic consumption will be covered, but we must be careful to keep the cereals in the country," said minister Oros.

Romania banned the export of cereals and bakery products outside the European Union in early April but removed the restriction later as the European Union found it disproportionate.