Romania Requests Exceptional EU Agricultural Reserve Support for Frost-Affected Orchard and Vineyard Sectors

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MADR) has formally submitted a request to the European Commission for exceptional financial support from the European Union's agricultural reserve, in response to the significant losses suffered by Romanian farmers in the fruit-growing and viticulture sectors.

In the spring of 2025, orchards and vineyards in production were severely damaged by successive late frost episodes, with temperatures dropping as low as -7.3°C, recorded across multiple regions of the country.

According to current estimates, over 16,400 hectares of crops have been affected, resulting in financial losses exceeding €49 million for Romanian farmers.

The gravity of the situation has also been presented at the Agriculture and Fisheries Council (AgriFish) held in Brussels in May, where Minister Florin Barbu informed EU Member States and the Commission of the scale of the damage caused by the late spring frost and hailstorms in Romania.

“We are facing a dramatic situation in fruit-growing and viticulture – sectors vital for the rural economy. We are calling on the European Commission to activate support mechanisms from the agricultural reserve to save these farms from collapse. This is a moment when European solidarity must be translated into concrete action,” stated Florin Barbu, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development.