Romanian agriculture operates in an environment increasingly exposed to climatic, market, and biological risks. According to the European Commission – EU Agricultural Markets Brief 2024, price variability and climatic extremes are the main challenges faced by farmers in Eastern Europe. Romania, with areas frequently affected by drought, is among the most vulnerable.

INS (2024) confirms that more than one-third of cultivated land is exposed annually to the risk of aridization, and crops in the southern and eastern regions experience the strongest impact. At the same time, price volatility for cereals and agricultural inputs worsens economic uncertainty, particularly affecting small and medium-sized farms.

The European risk management model includes three components: prevention, financial instruments, and compensation. In Romania, prevention is supported through investments in irrigation, climatic monitoring systems, and precision agriculture technology, integrated into the CAP Strategic Plan (PNS) 2023–2027. The financial component is represented by subsidized insurance, while compensation is managed through support schemes for calamity events.

Analyses by DG AGRI show that farms using combined systems — preventive technologies, insurance, and crop diversification — are more stable and significantly reduce their losses.

Risk management is becoming a mandatory strategy for Romanian farmers in an increasingly unpredictable agricultural context.

(Photo: Freepik)