Romania continues to be a relevant player on the European Union’s agricultural market in terms of volume, but not in terms of value added. According to Eurostat, Romania consistently ranks among the top cereal producers in the EU; however, its contribution to the total value of European agricultural output is disproportionately small.

In 2024, the gross value added generated by Romanian agriculture accounted for less than 4% of the European Union total, despite the country having a significantly larger share of utilized agricultural area. This discrepancy reflects a predominant focus on primary production and the export of low-processed products.

Data from the European Commission indicate that countries with a higher degree of processing and integration along the agri-food value chain manage to stabilize farm incomes, even during periods of price volatility. In Romania, the lack of storage, processing, and marketing infrastructure limits farmers’ ability to capture additional value.

For 2026, the challenge is not increasing production, but changing market positioning. Without coordinated investments in logistics and processing, Romania risks remaining a volume supplier in an increasingly competitive European market.

(Photo: Freepik)