After the extreme volatility of the 2021–2023 period, the agricultural inputs market is entering 2026 in a phase of relative stabilisation, albeit at price levels significantly above the historical average. According to Eurostat, fertiliser prices declined in 2024 compared to their 2022 peaks, but remain 25–30% higher than in 2019, while crop protection products and related services have seen much slower adjustments.

Within the cost structure of crop farms, inputs continue to represent the main source of pressure. Data from the National Institute of Statistics (INS) indicate that in 2024–2025, fertilisers and crop protection products accounted for between 40% and 50% of direct per-hectare costs, depending on the crop and the technology applied. Even in a calmer market environment, farms’ dependence on external inputs remains high.

An additional risk stems from supplier concentration. European Commission data show that the European inputs market is dominated by a limited number of players, which restricts genuine competition at the local level. In Romania, small and medium-sized farmers have limited bargaining power and are therefore exposed to price fluctuations and imposed commercial conditions.

For 2026, the issue is not only the level of prices, but also cost rigidity. Even in years of weaker agricultural commodity prices, input costs do not adjust proportionally, compressing farm margins and amplifying economic risk.

(Photo: Freepik)