Good weather boosts Romanian farmers’ expectations for 2026 grain crops

Romanian farmers say the rains last autumn laid solid foundations for this year’s grain crops, which could surpass the record of over 30 million tons reached in 2021, according to Ziarul Financiar. The volatile crops tend to have a significant impact on Romania’s GDP dynamics.

Specialists from the European association of grain and oilseed traders COCERAL estimate a harvest of about 29 million tons, close to the record from 2021, when production exceeded 30 million tons, and some Romanian farmers are even more optimistic and hope to surpass the record from five years ago.

The precipitation in September and October, followed by the snow in December and January, but also by the rains in recent days, contributed to restoring the water reserve in the soil, necessary for cereals and oilseeds.

However, COCERAL’s latest forecast, dated mid-December (the next forecast scheduled for March), indicates expectations for a moderate increase in Romania’s cereal crop (23.6 million tons from 22.8 million tons in 2025) and oilseeds (5.4 million tons compared to 5.1 million tons in 2025).

Across entire Europe, COCERAL expects a slight decline from last year’s record crops: 296.7 million tons (Mt) in the EU and UK, down from 306.6 Mt harvested in 2025. The forecast covers wheat, barley, maize, rapeseed, and other key crops, reflecting slightly lower yields compared with last year’s exceptional output.

(Photo source: Musuc Alexandr/Dreamstime.com)