These days discussions on the future of the livestock sector and protein production in the EU are getting an impetus and the topic is high on the agenda of the various member states and at EU level. Romania has a long tradition in animal husbandry as well as a strong demand for livestock products, however the sector has been declining over the years and most of the consumption is being covered by imports. A situation which need to be reversed, according to Romanian experts and officials, considering the current low livestock density and the vast areas that could increasingly serve as feed base.
Romania’s view on the future of the livestock sector
Romania believes that animal husbandry plays a strategic role in European agriculture and the Romanian sector needs modernisation, digitalisation and adequate risk management instruments. This opinion was expressed during the informal meeting of EU agriculture ministers (6-8 September, Dublin, Ireland), where discussions focused on the EU Livestock Strategy and the EU Protein Plan, including the research and innovation component.
According to experts, Romania has all the prerequisites to strengthen its livestock sector, however investments are highly needed to increase the its competitiveness, sustainability and resilience.
The need for further investments is acknowledged by Barna Tanczos, Romania’s Deputy Prime Minister and Acting Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development. He believes that overall “the EU must maintain its production capacity to meet its own needs and avoid replacing domestic production with imports that do not meet equivalent standards,” the minister stated at the meeting in Ireland. According to him, the implementation of solutions such as farm modernisation, digitalisation, primary production processing and the development of irrigation systems depends on farmers’ ability to invest.
Additional prerequisites for a successful livestock sector, in Romania’s view
Romania also stresses the importance of research and innovation for increasing the competitiveness of the livestock and protein sectors.
It also supports reducing the European Union’s dependence on vegetal protein imports. To achieve these objectives farmers must invest again in technology and production development.
Animal welfare was also discussed in Dublin. Romania calls for a balanced transition to the new European requirements, so that the new rules take into account the farmers’ investments made so far and their competitiveness.
Romania also supports the introduction of proportionate rules on the transport of animals and calls for more flexible rules to combat diseases. Minister Tanczos advocates making regionalisation, compartmentalisation and vaccination more flexible, so that control measures can be adapted to the epidemiological situation and limit the impact on farmers who are not directly affected by outbreaks. This is quite a sensitive subject, in the context of the problems currently facing the sheep and pig sectors in Romania.
Maize, an important crop for livestock farming, is losing ground
Romania, one of the European Union’s leading maize producers, is facing a significant reduction in the area under maize and in the surplus available for export. Repeated droughts and water shortages, as well as extreme temperatures, have made maize cultivation an increasingly risky venture for many Romanian farmers.
For 2026, Romania’s maize harvest is estimated at around 8 million tonnes. Although Romania has avoided the most severe effects of the drought that has hit other European regions this year, production remains more than 50 per cent below the levels recorded in 2018–2019. The decline in production is also reflected in exports. Whilst a few years ago Romania exported over 7 million tonnes of maize, between 2023 and 2025 volumes ranged from approximately 2.2 to 4.7 million tonnes, according to European Commission data.
Climate change has undoubtedly played a major role in the reduction of maize-growing areas in Romania. Under these circumstances, an increasing number of farmers are either opting for winter crops, which are considered less vulnerable to critical periods of drought during the summer, or are beginning to consider new crops better adapted to the new climatic realities.
Sorghum, explored as an alternative to maize
Sorghum cultivation was the central theme of the ‘Resilient Agriculture Day’ event, recently organised by the Forum of Professional Farmers and Processors in Romania (FAPPR) and Sorghum ID.
“Every year, drought forces us to look for alternatives to maize cultivation. We chose sorghum because of its tolerance to water shortages. Resilience is the watchword, because we need to see what the future holds and how we can remain sustainable”, said Iulia Blagu, the event’s host and manager of the Agromec Gîrbovi farm in Ialomița County.
During the panel on sorghum cultivation, the discussions highlighted that sorghum can represent a viable alternative for farms in areas frequently affected by drought; however, its introduction into the crop rotation must be tailored to the specific characteristics of the farm, the intended use of the produce and, above all, the existence of concrete market opportunities. In this respect, research, education and knowledge sharing will be fundamental in the wider adoption of new, or relatively new crops such as sorghum.
More information
For more information, you can reach out to the Netherlands Agricultural Network in Romania via: bkr-lvvn@minbuza.nl