Drought affects 1.16 mln hectares of agricultural land in Romania

The drought has affected a surface of 1.16 million hectares of agricultural land in Romania this year, down 10-15% compared to 2015. The main crops that were affected included corn and sunflower. However, the wheat, rye, and barley production has increased by 15% to 2.4 million tons, agriculture minister Achim Irimescu said on Friday. The farmers affected by the drought can be helped either through minimis aid, which amounts to EUR 15,000 per farmer for three years, or through financing granted to small and medium-sized enterprises. The minimis aid is hard to apply, because some farmers have already benefitted from it, the minister said. The allotted amount was also too small. The other method is more “complex”. When people ask for aid, they also need to prove which were their actual losses. editor@romania-insider.com