Crop area and plant agricultural production increased in 2023 compared to the previous year for cereals, legumes, oilseeds, and vegetables, but decreased for potatoes.

At the European Union level, Romania ranked first in cultivated area for sunflower and maize, and second or third in production.

Year 2023 compared to 2022

In 2023, there was an increase in both cultivated areas and yields (average production per hectare) for major crops.

Cereals

The cultivated area for cereals increased by 1.0%, and production by 9.1%, primarily due to increased yields per hectare. Maize accounted for 45.3% of the cultivated area for cereals, while wheat accounted for 42.2%. Cereal production increased mainly due to an 11.0% increase in wheat production, which represents 46.8% of cereal production.

Legumes

Production increased by 37.8% compared to the previous year, as a result of increased cultivated area and yield per hectare.

Oilseeds

Production increased by 15.0%, with a 9.3% increase in cultivated area. Production increases were recorded for rapeseed (+45.3%) and soybeans (+23.0%), while there was a decrease for sunflower (-3.7%).

Potatoes

The cultivated area decreased by 4.9%, and production by 19.4%.

Vegetables

Production increased by 1.6%, due to increased yields per hectare and cultivated areas.

Vineyards

In 2023, grape production increased by 9.7%, due to increased yield per hectare (+7.6%) and cultivated area by 1.9%.

Fruit tree orchards

Production of fruits from orchards increased by 0.6%, due to increased cultivated areas.

Romania compared to some EU Member States in 2023

For maize, Romania ranked first in cultivated area and third in production, after France and Poland;

For sunflower, Romania ranked first in cultivated area and second in production, after France;

For wheat, Romania ranked fourth in both cultivated area and production, after France, Germany, and Poland.