Small Romanian farmers selling their products on advertising sites

Subject: Small Romanian farmers selling their products on advertising sites

Romania offers another paradox: Although the country has the highest number of farms in the European Union, most of them have small areas, so they are not profitable. According to Eurostat’s latest data, over 3 million farms in the country only produce 3.4% of the total value recorded in the EU.

This indicates that land fragmentation makes farming unprofitable.

What tools does the Commission have at its disposal to find solutions in order to support small Romanian farmers?

Answer given by Mr Hogan on behalf of the European Commission

(7 December 2018)

The European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) as ruled in Regulation (EU) No 1305/2013 (1) provides for funding of a number of measures supporting small farms.

The Romanian National Rural Development Programme (RDP) 2014-2020 offers several of those support mechanisms to small farms. EUR 879 million are programmed to support small farmers to develop their business or to permanently transfer their farms to another farmer. Support is also available for the provision of training and advice, for investments in structural improvements of farms or for a better integration of farms into the supply chain and local markets.

The RDP foresees to support the structural development of more than 30 000 small farms and the permanent transfer of some 1 600 small farmer holdings. In addition, the RDP puts particular emphasis on promoting the association of small farmers in order to improve their competitiveness.

In addition, support for small farms is available under the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF), based on Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 (2). Romania implements the Small Farmer Scheme (3) with simplified access conditions to income support, benefiting about 580 000 small farms, and a Redistributive Payment (4) ensuring a redistribution of support towards smaller farms (extra payment to the first 30 hectares of farms eligible under the single area payment scheme).

⋅1∙ OJ L 347, 20.12.2013

⋅2∙ OJ L 347, 20.12.2013

⋅3∙ Articles 61-65 of the direct payments regulation

⋅4∙ Articles 41-42 of the direct payments regulation.