Agriculture universities in Romania start retailing output of their farms

Several agriculture universities in Romania have started retailing the products of the farms they administer, either through their own stores or in chosen locations. Their products are well received by the public, drawn to the quality and the prices.

For instance, the Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine University in Cluj-Napoca has a store retailing meat products, milk, dairy products and eggs, all coming from the university’s farm, where students work and learn. The farm has 11,000 hens, over 200 cows and tens of pigs, Stirileprotv.ro reported. The farm employs only 15 people, and students carry out the rest of the activities.

The university launched last year its own brand of food products, called Gourmeticus Academicum. It plans to add to the offer probiotic juices and a variety of dairy and cheese products.

Another educational institution that is selling its products is the Agronomy University in Iaşi, in northeastern Romania. The university has a cattle farm of 100, set up with the help of EU funds. It sells the milk at a milk dispenser on the premises of the university, bringing in revenue of over RON 10,000 (EUR 2,105) monthly. The vending machine can be filled with 200 liters of milk, which is sold by 12:00 noon every day at a price of RON 2.5 (some EUR 0.50) per liter. “It's money coming in daily, which we use to cover expenses at the farm and with the employees,” professor Vasile Maciuc told Stirileprotv.ro.

In its turn, the Agronomy and Veterinary Medicine University in Timişoara, in western Romania, plans to open in its yard, on March 1, a market of products from its farm: eggs, milk, cheese products, vegetables and fruits. Small producers in the area can also rent stalls at the market for RON 250 (EUR 52) per month, the money going towards the university’s budget.

(Photo:USAMV Cluj-Napoca Facebook Page)