Primary processing on farms is becoming one of the most important directions of European agricultural policies and a real opportunity for farmers in Romania. According to Eurostat (2024), only a small share of agricultural production in Central Europe is processed directly at farm level, yet the units that take this step achieve significant increases in added value and greater income stability.

In Romania, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MADR) encourages primary processing through the interventions of the CAP Strategic Plan (PNS) 2023–2027, which support farms investing in sorting, packaging, cooling, and minimal processing lines for plant products, small-capacity slaughterhouses, or local milk-processing facilities. These investments aim to reduce dependence on the raw material market, where price fluctuations are much more pronounced.

According to AFIR evaluations (2024), farms that integrate primary processing achieve more stable incomes, and post-harvest losses decrease considerably. In the livestock sector, on-farm processing—whether for milk, meat, or eggs—contributes to supply chain control, compliance with quality standards, and access to short supply chains.

European trends clearly show that farms with a higher degree of integration are more resilient during periods of volatility. For Romania, primary processing is not only a technical modernization but a shift in the economic model.

(Photo: Freepik)