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Victor Ponta: We are ready to help drought-hit farmers
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MADR) will ensure the subsidies for swine and poultry breeders, and the government is also prepared to help drought-hit farmers, said Prime Minister Victor Ponta at the end of the government sitting.
'The money collected from the auction organized by the Ministry of Communications will be directed to the Ministry of Agriculture and to all the farmers affected by drought,' said the Premier.
Romania's maize production will be reduced by at least 2.1 million tonnes in 2012 due to drought that hit the country this summer in central and eastern Europe, according to data of the General Association of the Maize Producers in France, quoting the latest report on August 17 of the company researching the cereal market in Europe - Strategie Grains.
In 2011, Romania got a maize production of 11.666 million tonnes on a surface of 2.613 million ha, topping the European Union in terms of cultivated surface and second in terms of production, trailing France.
According to the report, the EU maize production forecast slashed 7.1 million tonnes due to climate registered in central and eastern Europe, estimated at 58.06 million tonnes.
The maize production will register the major decline in Hungary, of 2.3 million tonnes, and Italy and Romania with 2.1 million tonnes each. The report estimates that the decrease in the European maize offer on the market will have an impact of the structure of intra-community exchanges.
On the other hand, the Ministry of Agriculture estimates in its project substantiation note on granting the de minimis aid for agriculture, a total surface affected by drought in excess of 3.7 million ha, with the spring cultures accounting for 1.7 million ha.
The crops most affected by drought are maize with 81.2 percent of the total surface with spring crops affected by drought, and the sunflower crops, with 45.8 percent.
Secretary of state with the Ministry of Agriculture Daniel Botanoiu told Agerpres that in terms of the degree of affection, the drought-hit surface went up from 30 percent to 40-45 percent of the 2.85 million ha planted with maize in spring, nevertheless the 2012 production will provide the domestic demand of Romania of 6.5 to 7 million tonnes.
'From the information received from the European Commission and USAID, Romania is said to have a maize production only 2 million tonnes smaller than last year. Suppose we will incur further losses due to drought, of various degrees over 1.85 million ha of the surface planted with maize and with an efficiency half of that in 2011, we still cover our domestic needs of maize which amounts to 6.5 to 7 million tonnes. However, until you draw the line you cannot know for sure where you stand. All we have got now are forecasts and estimations,' said Botanoiu.
According to the data of the National Institute of Statistics, Romania ranked first in the EU in 2011 in point of the surface cultivated with maize, and second in terms of production after France, due to a lower efficiency.
In 2011, the surface cultivated with maize in the EU was 8.72 million ha, only Romania with 2.613 million ha followed by France and Hungary with 1.571 million ha and 1.256 ha.
France was first in terms of maize production with 13.736 million tonnes in 2011 followed by Romania with 11.666 tonnes, Italy and Hungary with 7.877 million tonnes and 7.41 million tonnes.
The total maize production of all the 27 EU member states was 60.19 million tonnes (57.843 million tonnes in 2010) with a productivity of 6,902 kg/ha.