Radio România Internațional

Tag: crops

  • Aid for Romanian farmers affected by the drought

    Aid for Romanian farmers affected by the drought

    The European Commission has approved a state aid scheme for Romanian farmers affected by the drought, worth 400 million Euros, which will be granted for losses incurred from September 2023 to August 2024. Following the analysis carried out, the EC found that the scheme is necessary and adequate to compensate Romanian farmers for the losses suffered due to this extreme climate event. Moreover, the Commission established that the system is proportionate because it is limited to the minimum necessary funds and has a limited impact on competition and trade between member states. Based on these considerations, the Commission approved the scheme for Romania in accordance with EU rules on state aid. It is intended for agricultural producers who have had losses for one or more of the thirty-nine types of crops selected by the Commission. It is about wheat, rye, barley, oats or rapeseed, peas, sunflowers or corn, crops that were affected by the severe drought after the fall of 2023.

     

    To qualify for this type of aid, agricultural producers must prove that they have lost more than thirty percent of their crops, and financial support will be obtained through direct subsidies. The maximum value of the aid amounts to 200 Euros per hectare for 100% loss, and payments will be made by December 31. In Romania, the authorities have already informed the farmers that until October 29, they can submit the requests and the minutes of damage assessment to the county departments for agriculture.

     

    On the other hand, two weeks ago, the authorities in Bucharest established that farmers affected by the drought, who have concluded loan or leasing contracts, will be able to request the suspension of debt payments and loan rates until August 1, 2025, if they fulfill two conditions cumulatively. The person who requests the suspension must have a written report showing that he or she had a degree of damage of at least 50%, and the interest rate charged by the creditor is higher than 2.5% + ROBOR index for loans in lei and 2% + EURIBOR index for foreign currency loans. Furthermore, farmers will be able to take loans fully guaranteed by the state on favorable terms to pay their outstanding debts.

     

    Unfortunately, the situation is serious. For this year alone, for example, the Romanian government estimates that around two million hectares have been affected by the drought and is considering financial compensation for the owners. However, losses are also announced for the farmers who managed to harvest the crops because some lots of corn have already been refused for export, due to the diseases emerged against the background of the drought. Calculations also show that Romania loses a thousand hectares of arable land every year due to desertification. In this context, the Environment Ministry fears a total desertification in the south of the country, in the next 50 years. (LS)

  • Prolonged drought wreaks havoc on Romania

    Prolonged drought wreaks havoc on Romania

    With record high temperatures and scarce precipitations, the past two years have wreaked havoc on Romania presently witnessing a chronic drought with devastating effects on the economy and the everyday life of its citizens. Restrictions to drinking water consumption have been maintained in more than 4 hundred towns and villages across the country, the most affected regions being the eastern counties of Botoşani, Iaşi, Vrancea, Neamţ and Bacău.

    But water supplies have also been affected in the southern counties of Giurgiu and Gorj and representatives of the Romanian Waters have again urged people to avoid wasting water supplies as reservoirs are presently filled only 78%. Water supplies have been seriously diminished in 120 towns and villages in Botoşani County as reservoirs here cannot accumulate enough water and residents have been advised to make their own minimum reserves during outages.

    In villages around the area, which lack centralized water supplies, wells have completely dried up and people must travel 3-4 kilometers to get water. Against the scarce water supplies, experts urge people to use drinking water only for drinking and resort to alternatives for other activities whenever possible.

    The prolonged drought this summer has wreaked havoc on crops as well. In July this year, field minister Florin Barbu notified EU Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski that large areas of Romania’s farmland had been affected by drought and he has recently called on the European Commission to compensate the Romanian farmers heavily affected by drought.

    Large regions in Romania have been affected by drought and the heavy losses incurred by farmers are jeopardizing the economic viability of the Romanian farms as well as the country’s security interests, Bucharest has reported. ”The significant damage caused by unfavorable weather phenomena are calling for urgent compensations in the basis of an exceptional measure to contribute to solving the specific issues caused by these phenomena” says the letter Romania’s Agriculture Minister Florin Barbu sent to the European Commission. According to the ministry, the total estimated budget of maximum 75.2 million dollars for the crops sown in the autumn of 2023 must be urgently reimbursed to farmers. The low level of precipitations and the temperatures higher than usual this summer have wreaked havoc on the crops sown in spring as well, mainly corn and sunflower on a surface of roughly two million hectares. According to the Minister, Romania has incurred losses of 200 Euros per hectares.

    (bill)

  • November 7, 2022 – UPDATE

    November 7, 2022 – UPDATE

    DROUGHT In Romania, the total area affected by drought is more than
    one million hectares. According to the agriculture ministry, losses have been
    reported in most counties. The most affected crops include wheat, barley, oats,
    rye, rape, corn and sunflower.


    ENVIRONMENT Romania fully supports the EU in spearheading the
    efforts to limit climate change and the joint commitment of EU member states to
    reducing net greenhouse gas emissions, president Klaus Iohannis said on Monday
    at the Climate Implementation Summit held in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt as part of
    the UN Climate Change Conference (COP27). We must ensure an orderly climate
    transition, with multiple benefits, including investments in research-development-innovation,
    green economy and job creation, the Romanian official also said. He emphasised
    that access to affordable energy can be secured through investments in low-carbon production capacities, in resilient energy networks and
    by creating a regulatory framework tailored for renewable energy. The cost of
    climate inaction is much higher than the cost of action. Climate change
    generates loss and economic as well as non-economic damages throughout the
    world, Klaus Iohannis pointed out.


    MOLDOVA Romania covers at present more than 90% of Moldova’s
    electricity needs, Romanian Foreign Minister, Bogdan Aurescu, said at a TV
    station. He also said the situation is serious in the neighbouring country,
    given its full dependency on foreign natural gas and electricity resources.
    According to Aurescu, Romania has also supported Moldova by supplying it with
    fuel oil and firewood. Bucharest has called on the international community to provide
    grants to Chisinau, so as the latter may purchase energy from the free market.


    ANI Romania’s National Integrity Agency (ANI) has found that the mayor
    of the capital city’s District 1, Clotilde Armand, has breached conflict of
    interest rules. According to a news release issued by the institution, Armand
    appointed herself as the manager of an EU-funded project, from which she
    obtained material gains. ANI has also announced it notified the Prosecutor’s
    Office and the Bucharest Prefect Office in this respect. A French citizen born
    in 1973, Clotilde Armand settled in Bucharest in 1999, after marrying a
    Romanian citizen. She was one of the founders of the current Save Romania Union
    (USR) in 2015, which she represented at the local elections of 2020 when she
    won the mayor seat of one of the capital’s richest districts.


    REACTION The Romanian Foreign Ministry denies the allegations made by
    Russian President Vladimir Putin in a recent Unity Day speech, which falsely
    induce the idea that Romania would have territorial claims in Ukraine. In a news
    release, the Foreign Ministry reaffirmed Romania’s firm commitment to the
    independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, within its
    internationally recognized borders. In his speech, Putin talked about
    territories forcibly seized by Ukraine from Hungary, Romania and Poland.


    THEATRE The National Theatre Festival (NTF) continues in Romania
    until November 13. Theatre performances during this event will have in-person
    attendance, after two years of pandemic with online performances. The NTF
    includes over 60 theatre shows staged by public and independent companies from
    Romania and abroad. The festival, held this year under the motto, ‘Fragile
    borders. Fluid histories’ also includes an on-air section comprising a number
    of exquisite radio drama shows. (AMP)

  • August 11, 2022 UPDATE

    August 11, 2022 UPDATE

    Agriculture – In Romania, wheat crops are affected by the drought on an area of ​​over 180,000 hectares, while the total affected area reached on Thursday almost 330,000 hectares in three quarters of the counties, according to data provided by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development . The line minister, Petre Daea, announced that this years wheat production is by 15% – 18% smaller than that recorded in 2021. According to the agriculture minister, there is enough wheat to cover Romanias internal needs, namely 2.5 – 3 million tons, and even to ensure a surplus for export.



    Fire – Romania will provide emergency external humanitarian aid to France to extinguish the devastating forest fires there, and a ground intervention module is going to be sent. 7 firefighting officers and 70 non-commissioned officers as well as 17 pieces of equipment have been mobilized. The aid will be granted based on the request for international assistance made by the French government, through the European Civil Protection Mechanism. The module will be transported by two C17 planes, which will pick up the components from Bucharest and Timisoara. The two aircraft are from the Papa Air Base in Hungary, a NATO structure that provides strategic air transport capabilities. They will be used with the support of the Romanian Defense Ministry, using the flight resources intended for it. Similar aid by Romania was granted to Greece.



    Refugees – The number of Ukrainian citizens with employment contracts in Romania has reached almost 6,500, said the labor minister, Marius Budăi. More than 4,000 contracts were registered after the start of the war. Most are in the manufacturing industry, and also in constructions, hotels, restaurants and trade. More than a quarter of Ukrainians, over 1,200, opted for jobs in Bucharest. On the other hand, the Border Police announced that, on Wednesday, about 13,500 Ukrainian citizens crossed the border into Romania. Starting from February 10 (pre-conflict period), until August 9, almost 1.9 million refugees entered the country, but most of them only transited Romania to other European countries.





    Covid – Almost 6,500 new cases of SARS-CoV-2 infections have been registered in the last 24 hours in Romania, over 800 less than the previous day, the Romanian Health Ministry announced on Thursday. About a fifth of the new cases are in re-infected patients. About 300 people are in intensive care. In the last 24 hours, 29 Covid patients have died.



    Inflation – The annual inflation rate in Romania dropped to 14.96% in July this year, from 15.1% in June – the National Institute of Statistics announced on Thursday. Natural gas, oil, potatoes and fuel are at the top of the price hikes in July, followed by energy, plane tickets, flour and corn flour. Telephony services are the only ones that got slightly cheaper, the rest of the products and services registering price increases. According to the data presented, on Tuesday, by the Central Bank governor, Mugur Isărescu, the National Bank of Romania increased the inflation forecast for the end of this year to 13.9% and estimates an inflation rate of 7.5% for the end of next year. (LS)

  • August 3, 2022

    August 3, 2022


    AID In Romania, the people affected by recent natural disasters will receive state aid, after the government approves a draft resolution in this respect today. The largest sums, around EUR 2,000, will go to the families and individuals whose households have been affected to an extent of over 75%. In the case of fatalities, the families of the deceased will receive an additional EUR 1,500, irrespective of the number of victims. Meanwhile, the Romanian Waters Administration says the strategic water reserve in the countrys main 40 lakes, although decreasing since early July, is able to cover the needs of all relevant beneficiaries. According to current data, nearly 800 localities have introduced water supply restrictions, and the drought continues, especially in the east. As regards crops, a total of 205,000 hectares of farmland have been affected so far.



    AGRICULTURE Romanias grain yield is enough to cover the domestic demand and some exports, the agriculture minister Petre Daea said today, as 96% of the crops have already been harvested. High temperatures and extensive drought have affected crops, particularly sunflower and maize, across the country. Romania is one of the largest grain exporters in the EU and an active exporter to the Middle East. Last year the country had record-large crops, including 11.3 million tonnes of wheat. The domestic grain yield is generally 2-3 times higher than the domestic demand.



    COVID-19 The next variants of the new coronavirus will most likely be not very aggressive, but easily transmitted, the head of the Matei Bals Institute for Infectious Disease, Adrian Marinescu believes. He says the pandemic has reached a stage where we cohabitate with the virus, and many of the infected people perceive the disease as similar to a common cold. The health minister Alexandru Rafila does not rule out a 7th pandemic wave in Romania this autumn, when schools and universities resume classes. On Wednesday over 9,100 new COVID-19 cases were reported, most of them in Bucharest and in Cluj and Timiş counties. Nearly 4,000 COVID patients are hospitalized, of whom nearly 550 are children. 284 patients are in intensive care, and 41 COVID-related deaths have also been reported.



    TAIPEI The EU called for the tensions related to the U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosis visit to Taiwan to be settled through dialogue and for all communication channels with China to remain open, so as to avoid errors. China has its army on high alert in response to the visit, which it sees as a provocation. Chinas defence ministry announced “targeted military operations”, and the East Command of the Peoples Liberation Army said they involved live-fire drills near Taiwan-a self-ruled island that China views as part of its territory. In Washington, the Biden administration says there is no need for the Chinese authorities to turn this visit into a crisis. The White House spokesman for national security, John Kirby, said the House Speaker has the right to visit Taiwan, but highlighted that the trip was not a violation of Chinese sovereignty or of the One China Policy. The visit, which was not supported by US president Biden, is the first by a US official at this level in 25 years.



    REVOLUTION The prosecutor general of Romania, Gabriela Scutea, today announced the “Revolution Case” was referred back to the supreme court. In this case, the ex-president Ion Iliescu, former deputy PM Gelu Voican Voiculescu and Iosif Rus, former Military Aviation chief, are charged with crimes against humanity. According to the investigation, a widespread “terrorism” psychosis was created, which led to chaotic gun fire, fratricide, conflicting military orders. According to military prosecutors, this psychosis was induced deliberately, through disinformation and diversion, and resulted in over 850 dead, 2,380 wounded, hundreds of people illegally arrested and psychological trauma. Initiated in Timișoara in December 1989, the Romanian anti-communist revolution led to the flight, capture, summary trial and execution of the communist dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu and his wife Elena. (AMP)


  • Requests to assist Romanian farmers

    Requests to assist Romanian farmers

    Crops across Romania have been affected by this years unprecedented drought, and farmers are beginning to measure their losses, fearing that they will not break even this season.



    The biggest problems are reported in the south and east of the country, where water reserves are dwindling. The farmers in some areas have already asked the local authorities to take the necessary measures to declare a state of disaster in agriculture.



    In order to support the farmers affected by the drought, Bucharest has asked the European Commission to approve an advance payment accounting for 70 to 85% of the direct payments under the environment and climate measures in the 2014-2022 National Rural Development Programme.



    The government intends to give EUR 51.6 million in aid to fruit and wine growers and to pig and poultry breeders. Of this amount, EUR 25.5 million will come from EU funds, and the balance from the national budget, the agriculture ministry explained. Moreover, investments in local irrigation systems are planned, amounting to EUR 100 million, under the 2023-2027 National Strategic Plan.



    According to the data centralised by the institution, the drought has so far destroyed the crops on nearly 107,000 ha in 20 Romanian counties. Because of the drought, the Danube river flow Monday morning reached a minimum of 1,950 cubic metres per second, as against the 2,500 cubic metre per second on average at this time of the year. Hydrologists warn that the river flow would continue to drop this entire week, to as little as 1,850 cubic metres per second.



    For this reason, Dolj County in southern Romania for instance is facing an unprecedented situation in the last 70 years: crops can no longer be irrigated using the Danubes water, after the river level dropped 7 cm in one day.



    The head of the Romanian Farmers Association, Daniel Botănoiu, warns that the extreme drought affects this years crops, but will also have an impact on the next agricultural year, because works cannot be conducted in time and at the required quality standards. He believes that on the one hand the irrigation system must be adapted to the new technologies so as to ensure maximum efficiency, and on the other hand drought-tolerant plant species should be used.



    While farmers are struggling with the drought, the news from weather experts is hardly encouraging. This drought is only the beginning, difficult times are ahead, says the president of the Romanian Meteorological Society Ion Sandu, who urges the authorities to take measures for the forthcoming period. (AMP)

  • July 25, 2022 UPDATE

    July 25, 2022 UPDATE

    DROUGHT Drought has affected
    106,389 hectares of land in Romania, according to figures published by the
    agriculture ministry. The southern counties of Teleorman, Olt and Dolj have run
    out of water for irrigation because of the significant drop in the Danube’s
    river flow, agriculture minister Petre Daea announced on social media. Waters
    have retreated so much that they no longer reach the pumping stations feeding
    the irrigation system, with part of the Danube’s bed now looking like sandy
    beach. In the areas where irrigation was used, the state of the crops is good.
    Daea said the authorities are speeding up investment works to rehabilitate the
    national irrigation network and to bring Danube water closer to pumping
    stations. The minister recently said there is no reason yet to declare a state
    of disaster over the drought.

    TALKS
    The Romanian state secretary for strategic affairs, Iulian Fota, Monday had
    talks in Bucharest with the US deputy under-secretary for national security Kelli
    Ann Burriesci, who is on a regional tour in Europe. The US official was later
    received by the Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu. Talks focused on Romania’s
    participation in the Visa Waiver Program
    and on means to strengthen bilateral cooperation to this end. Bogdan Aurescu reiterated
    that including Romania in the Visa Waiver
    program is a top political goal for Bucharest and a topic of particular
    interest to the Romanian public.     He also
    highlighted the importance of the successful implementation of a joint
    awareness raising campaign and voiced Romania’s willingness to work together
    with the US to help reduce the visa rejection rate.


    COVID-19 In Romania,
    the number of coronavirus infections is on the rise. Nearly 5,000 new cases
    were reported on Monday for the last 24 hours, most of these in Bucharest,
    Cluj, Ilfov, Constanta and Brasov counties. Around 3,400 COVID-19 patients are hospitalised,
    204 of them in intensive care. Most of the patients in critical condition are
    unvaccinated. Five COVID-related deaths have also been reported.


    CORRUPTION Lucian
    Duţă, the former chief of Romania’s National Health Insurance Agency (CNAS), Monday
    received a final 6-year prison sentence. He was charged by the National
    Anti-Corruption Directorate for receiving EUR 6.3 million in bribe in exchange
    for awarding a public service contract to 2 software companies. The Bucharest Court
    of Appeals upheld the ruling pronounced by the court of first instance in
    November 2020, and the court’s decision to seize the EUR 6.3 million from Lucian
    Duţă.


    ENERGY More than
    3,500 MW of renewable energy will be installed in Romania in the coming period,
    both solar, using photovoltaic panels, and wind-generated, according to data
    provided by a consultancy firm in the field. Almost 700 such projects have been
    submitted on the platform made available by the energy ministry to receive
    funding under the recovery and resilience plan. The secretary general of the
    employers’ association in the field of renewable energy Mihai Verşescu said
    investment is needed in this sector, but that business people are reluctant because
    of frequent legislative changes. He emphasised that while funding sources are
    available, legislation is needed to ensure predictability.


    EMPLOYMENT Five out
    of ten Romanian employees changed their jobs in the last two years, according
    to a poll published by an online recruitment platform. Many job applicants look
    for less stressful jobs and more benefits. Four out of ten people who change
    their jobs were driven by higher pay, 27% because they had lost their jobs a
    result of a wave of redundancies, and 3% because their employers did not agree
    to their working remotely. 35% of respondents said they are currently looking
    and applying for new jobs and only 21% are completely satisfied with their
    current jobs. In conclusion, Romanians seeking new employment want better pay,
    the possibility to work from home, more additional benefits besides their wages
    and the possibility to relocate abroad.


    TENNIS The Romanian
    tennis player Irina Begu won the WTA 250 tournament in Palermo, Italy, worth
    200,000 US dollars in prize money. In Sunday’s final, she defeated Italy’s
    Lucia Bronzetti in straight sets, 6-2, 6-2. This is Begu’s fifth WTA title,
    having also won in Tashkent in 2012, Seoul in 2015, Florianopolis in 2016 and
    Bucharest in 2017. Begu also played the finals in Budapest, Marbella, Moscow
    and Cleveland. She is 31 years old and is ranked 45th in the world. Until now,
    Irina Spârlea had been the only Romanian player to win the singles title in
    Palermo, in 1994 and 1995. (CM, AMP)

  • From Drought to Heavy Rain

    From Drought to Heavy Rain


    The
    drought and the COVID-19 pandemic have turned 2020 into an atypical
    year in which agriculture will not be able to bring money to the
    state budget as producers, sellers and farmers have all incurred
    significant losses – Dragos Frumosu, head of the Trade Union
    Federation in the Food Industry has told in an interview to Radio
    Romania. According to him, new price hikes are expected in cereals,
    fodder, meat and bakery products. The EU countries will be trying to
    protect their productions to ensure domestic consumption and in this
    case exports of some products to Romania are likely to diminish.
    Dragos Frumosu has also mentioned some possible solutions to this
    situation.

    Dragos
    Frumosu:
    Proper management is the only solution in my opinion, we need to
    build our own state reserves so that we may ensure the necessary
    products until the next harvests. It is also very important to
    avoid price fluctuations all throughout the year and I believe all
    politicians are responsible for the situation Romanian agriculture is
    facing
    after
    30 years.





    The
    latest hail and thunder storms have also caused serious damage to
    crops in many regions of Romania. Severe weather has reportedly
    wreaked havoc on cereals, vegetables, vineyards and fruit trees in
    north-western Romania.





    Beekeepers
    have called on the Romanian authorities for financial support to
    compensate for the losses in a country that used to rank fourth in
    Europe in terms of honey production.


    In
    turn farmers have called for investment programmes to encourage local
    producers. In an open letter they have explained the Romanian
    agriculture is facing a very difficult period against the background
    of the economic crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic overlapping
    the severest drought in the past 30 years. The have come up with a
    series of immediate measures including financial aid to small farmers
    and the rehabilitation of the country’s irrigation systems.





    Last
    week, Agriculture Minister Adrian Oros voiced his intention to grant
    farmers drought compensations until autumn; the value of these
    compensations is to be set after damage assessments have been
    completed. On Tuesday Oros announced that 1,165,000
    hectares of farmland have been affected by drought in Romania.
    Bloomberg pundits have recently announced that Romania and several
    other countries in eastern Europe have been affected by the severest
    drought in the past century.





    (translated
    by bill)

  • Severe drought in Romania

    Severe drought in Romania

    In 2015, Romania was launching a programme to revamp its old irrigation system. It was an ambitious 5-year programme targeting a total surface area of around 2 million hectares by the end of 2020.



    However, at present only about 850,000 hectares are irrigable, and the programme was extended several years. In other words, only 10% of the countrys total farm area can be irrigated.



    Even so, farmers have only filed applications for around 100,000 hectares, says the line minister Adrian Oros. The situation is dramatic, because although Romania takes pride in its fertile land, its agriculture continues to rely heavily on the weather.



    And it has hardly rained at all in Romania over the past few months, there was little to no snow during the winter, and the consequences are increasingly evident.



    According to centralised data, in April we had 7 litres of precipitation per square metre, as opposed to an average of 53 litres.



    In short, Romania is facing a drought described by Minister Adrian Oros as “strong and extreme, as we havent seen in recent years.



    The worst situation in reported in Dobrogea, Bărăgan and Moldavia, that is in the south-east, south and east of the country. Here is how Nicolae Moraru, the mayor of a village in the east, describes the situation:



    Nicolae Moraru: “There are farmers in difficult positions, who own 400 – 500 hectares each and incur substantial expenses. They are threatened by bankruptcy. They have used their land, property, homes as collaterals. The situation is disastrous in our region.



    According to the Agriculture Ministry, 3 million hectares under crops since autumn are already destroyed. The rape, wheat, rye and barley crops are the most affected. Many farmers already warn that bread will be more expensive this autumn, although authorities argue that it is too soon to tell.



    In an interview to a private TV channel, minister Adrian Oros explained that even if half of the crops were destroyed, the domestic demand would still be covered:



    Adrian Oros: “It is much too soon. What happens in Europe and in the rest of the world is also important. During the good years, when it rained enough, Romanias wheat yield was 7, 8 or even 9 million tons of wheat, and we only use around 2 and a half to 3 million tons. The same for maize, the yield was 14-15 million tons, and the maximum demand in Romania is 7 million tons. So even if half the crops were destroyed, the domestic demand would still be covered.



    Weather experts bring us a piece of good news: on Friday they expect rain across the country. But the precipitation amount is not likely to be very large—an average of 10 litres per square metre.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • Effects of heavy rainfalls

    Effects of heavy rainfalls

    Summer has officially begun, but Romania is still in the grips of floods, heavy rainfalls, hailstorms, gale and strong winds. For several weeks now meteorologists have been issuing code yellow and orange alerts for unsettled weather and floods valid for the entire country. Hydrologists have repeatedly drawn attention to the risk of flooding, as many rivers across Romania have been under code orange and yellow alerts and some even under code red alerts. The abundant rainfalls have caused high floods and rivers have overtopped their banks.



    Heavy rain was also reported on Monday night when bridges, homes, enclosures, gardens and cellars were inundated with flood water. Hundreds of people have been evacuated by firefighters. The employees of the Emergency Service and Romanian Waters Authority have intervened on some river dams and controlled the discharge of water from reservoirs, thus avoiding the flooding of several communes. The only areas that were not affected by bad weather on Monday were the Black Sea Coast and 3 counties in the west of Romania. In the rest of the regions, traffic was disrupted on county, national and European roads, which were blocked by the high floods. The hailstorms and flooding reported in the past days have damaged crops. It has been revealed that most farmers do not have crop insurance. Many domestic animals have drowned and lots of localities were left without electricity, with utility poles being downed by waters.



    On Monday, the environment and water ministers, Gratiela Gavrilescu and Ioan Denes, went to Prahova county, in southern Romania, which was badly affected by the extreme weather phenomena. They announced that river regulation and bank consolidation works would be undertaken to avoid future catastrophes. Minister Denes talked with the PM Viorica Dancila who promised to allot money from the government’s emergency fund to start the respective works, after 4 children were killed by the high floods several days ago. However, the Arad county council representatives (western Romania) have reminded the Government that it has not yet allotted the money ‘promised’ last year after the floods that affected their county. In another development, several psychologists went to the villages in central Romania that were affected by floods to provide psychological support to the people. The Red Cross has also given a hand, attending to the locals’ needs. The bad weather is not over yet, as a warning for unsettled weather and heavy rainfalls is still in place for the entire country.

  • August 9, 2018 UPDATE

    August 9, 2018 UPDATE

    PROTEST – A large-scale protest by members of the Romanian diaspora against the ruling coalition is scheduled to take place on Friday in front of the government headquarters in Bucharest. City Hall announced that the protest is not organised by anyone in particular, as the law provides, as no entity has applied for a protest protocol. One man who was broadcast urging people towards violence against the authorities has been indicted by organised crime prosecutors. The Communications director for the Romanian gendarmes Marius Militaru told potential protesters on Thursday to refrain from giving way to provocations towards violence. Bucharest gendarme spokesperson Georgian Enache called on protesters to aid public order enforcers to do their job in case violence ensues.



    EU PRESIDENCY – Some 1,500 experts have been trained for Romanias taking over the rotating presidency of the EU Council on January 1, 2019, the minister delegate for European affairs, Victor Negrescu, told a TV channel on Thursday. According to him, the training programme started last year, with support from the European Institute in Romania, the European Commission and the General Secretariat of the EU Council. The Romanian official explained that these experts must be able to listen to the views of member states and come up with consensual solutions acceptable to all member countries.



    GRAINS – The research firm Strategie Grains has cut its forecast for this years European wheat harvest to a 6-year low. Analysts say this is because circumstances in northern Europe led to disastrous crops, whereas favourable conditions in Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Italy and Spain offset the pressures on crops caused by the hot and dry weather in Germany, Poland, France and the Czech Republic, Reuters reports. The crop forecaster also emphasises that Romania and Bulgaria will have more wheat for fodder, thanks to the recent rainfalls. In a report released on Thursday, the French company estimates that the EUs wheat crop will amount to 127.7 million tonnes, 10% less than last year. Meanwhile, the harvest in Romania, the Unions 3rd largest wheat exporter, might decrease by at least 20% this year, the head of the Romanian League of Farmer Associations Laurenţiu Baciu warned last week.



    DEFENCE – The Romanian Defence Minister Mihai Fifor Thursday received the new Ambassador of Slovakia to Romania, Karol Mistrik. The talks focused on bilateral cooperation within NATO and EU projects and initiatives. The 2 officials also discussed the importance of implementing the decisions made at the recent NATO Summit in Brussels, and expressed interest in strengthening the bilateral cooperation in the defence sector.



    DIPLOMACY – The Romanian Foreign Ministry responded on Thursday to statements made by Italys deputy PM Matteo Salvini, who accused Romania and Bulgaria of sending slaves to Western Europe. According to Mediafax news agency, Bucharest says any connections made between the citizens of a country and a crime category is unacceptable. Romania takes responsibility for what its citizens do abroad, and has adopted the international standards for the prevention and combating of human trafficking, being a signatory of the main relevant international documents. Matteo Salvini, Interior Minister and deputy PM of Italy and leader of the radical Northern League party, has accused Romania and Bulgaria of sending slaves into western Europe, and asked for measures to restrict human trafficking and exploitation.



    WEST NILE – A person died in Romania from the West Nile virus, the National Centre for Infectious Disease Monitoring and Control announced on Thursday. The man was 79 years old and suffered from chronic diseases. The Public Health Ministry announced there is no risk of an epidemic, and the cases reported so far are isolated. Experts warn that West Nile is not transmitted between humans, but that it is spread through mosquito bites. 23 West Nile patients have been confirmed in Romania since early May.




    SWINE FEVER – In Brăila County, in south-eastern Romania, 2 new African swine fever hotbeds were confirmed on Thursday, bringing the county total to 18. According to the latest data, the total number of hotbeds in Romania is nearly 580, in over 100 villages in 8 counties. More than 78,000 pigs have been culled. The owners will receive compensations for their losses, and the forthcoming budget adjustment earmarks additional funding for eradicating this disease.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)

  • The Effects of Drought in Romania

    The Effects of Drought in Romania

    The lack of
    precipitations in the past few weeks caused the Danube’s water level to drop to
    near-record lows, with the river’s discharge down to half its usual average at
    this time of the year. In Galati, in southeastern Romania, a group of sand
    islands has surfaced right in the middle of the river. In spite of these
    problems, the navigable channel has not been blocked on either sector of the
    river, the Romanian Naval Authority has announced.

    Nevertheless, on certain
    sectors traffic unfolds with difficulty. In the southern areas of Zimnicea and
    Bechet tens of ships have been stationed and they are only allowed to pass one
    at a time. The Danube’s Giurgiu and
    Drobeta Turnu Severin areas, in the south-west, are also faced with similar
    problems. Authorities have warned navigators to be cautious and use water level
    radars and thus avoid getting stranded.


    Farmers have also
    been affected by the lack of precipitations. The extreme temperatures and the
    severe drought have brought underground water down to a
    dramatically low level, which has in turn seriously damaged this year’s crops.
    The wheat, corn, rapeseed and sunflower yields will be much smaller than last
    year with the most difficult situation being reported in north-eastern Romania.

    Farmers have called on the Agriculture Ministry for support, asking for a state
    aid scheme that would benefit farmland owners, lessors, lessees, associations
    and administrators with sharecrop farmers’ associations, groups of producers and
    farmers’ co-operatives. The state aid must be made available immediately,
    farmers’ representatives say, for farmers to be able to resume the production
    cycle as soon as possible.

    In answer to the farmers’ demands, the Agriculture
    Minister Daniel Constantin has explained that Romania needs the European
    Commission’s approval to pay damages higher than 15,000 euros. The EC must be
    also notified in the case of smaller amounts, of up to 15,000 euros, although
    they are granted from the state budget. Experts have criticized the low pace of
    these procedures, as Romania keeps losing a significant part of its cereal
    crops.

    Things are not at all likely to improve in the coming period
    either, as meteorologists have
    announced that the heat wave, which has gripped Romania, is here to stay, with only several rain showers reported in
    isolated areas. Therefore, extreme heat and thermal discomfort is what Romania
    will be faced with in the upcoming
    period.

  • Extreme heat and drought have affected large areas across Romania.

    Extreme heat and drought have affected large areas across Romania.

    Beyond the
    severe discomfort created by this kind of weather, with temperatures reaching
    and even exceeding 40 degrees Celsius and with an extremely elevated temperature/humidity
    ratio, beyond the acceptable threshold of 80 units, the successive waves of
    heat and the lack of precipitations have already started to show medium and
    long term effects.






    In the county
    of Iasi alone, in the northeast, more than 33 thousand hectares of cultivated
    land have started to show signs of severe lack of underground water. The most
    affected are wheat, corn and sunflower crops. Unfortunately, extreme phenomena
    have also started to occur quite frequently, such as the hail last week, which
    damaged 5 thousand hectares of harvested land.






    In Olt county,
    in the region of Oltenia, hundreds of wells have gone dry, and there are
    villages where the only drinking water is the one brought in fire trucks.
    Weather experts say that, unless it’s going to rain in the following days,
    there will be serious problems, especially in the south, translated into huge
    financial losses.






    The extended
    drought is very likely to affect the future crops, as well. The flow of the
    River Danube has also dropped dramatically. In Galati, in the south-east, the
    water has already gone beyond alarming levels and, because of the extreme heat
    that will not go away soon, the water level will keep on dropping. The Galati
    Lower Danube Administration has taken steps to conclude river-dredging
    contracts, and for navigators a warning has been issued to stay within the
    fairways.






    On the
    river-crossing points in Tulcea, also in the south-east, cars have had to wait
    long hours to be able to cross the river by ferryboats, because the level of
    the water is too low, and the ferries could not be loaded at full capacity. In
    the port of Corabia too, in the south, navigation on the river has become
    dangerous.






    The level of the Danube there has dropped dramatically and sand islands have formed, which
    have narrowed the navigable channel. According to the local authorities, the
    transport of farming products stored in the silos built in the near vicinity of
    the port is now covered by vehicles. Local officials have called on the
    transport ministry to take urgent measures to dredge the river, to make the
    town port usable, but also to safeguard the tourist port project, developed
    with European money, which is due to become operational next year.