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Given the global economic issues and environmental pollution, there is a growing interest in research addressing the use of biomasses resulting from agricultural production. One main category of biomass components is lignin, the use of plant waste in the pulp industry being one of the ways in avoiding additional deforestation by suppling inputs for the paper industry. The implementation of a strategy for capitalizing the potential of renewable sources, as, but not limited to, paper production, provides the appropriate framework for decision on renewable alternatives and inclusion in the acquis domains in Romania. The present study analyzed the potential use of waste obtained from field crops, mainly annual, as wheat, sunflower, maize, soy, rape, rye, barley, sorghum, rice, to produce paper. Biomass/waste from field crops is a promising source for paper, primarily because it is renewable and has the potential to exploit over 7 million hectares of arable land, with annual use. The diversity of pedoclimatic conditions in Romania makes possible the cultivation of a wider range of species and, within them, a multitude of varieties and hybrids, with variable amounts of lignocellulosic agricultural waste. In addition, accidental years as 2022, the year with the worst drought in Europe in the last 500 years, reshaped the need of valorizing any available biomass, regardless of the production of the main crop. Our calculations show that for a paper containing 28% of renewable cellulose, with the wheat straws collected from Romania in 2019, 9633.31 thousand tons of paper would have been obtained, with an average per hectare of 2786.62 kg of paper. Our analysis shows the opportunity of using lignocellulosic agricultural waste for use as a raw material for paper production. A throughout analysis is needed in the context of extreme droughts experienced recently, to show which valorization of by-products is the most economically justified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to test the aggregates chosen for an efficient application of granulated chemical fertilisers of different types during the optimal period, as well as to reduce the time and costs required for the agricultural work performed. The experiments were carried out within the IF Raicsics Mihailo Dragan Farm in the Commune of Sânpetru Mare, Timiș County, Romania. Depending on the capacity of the fertiliser hoppers of these machines, we chose the tractor with which to work in the aggregate. Obtaining high-quality crops at the lowest possible costs can only be achieved through the application of specific, perfected technologies, which allow a superior utilisation of both natural resources and inputs. Therefore, comparing the fertiliser machines studied, we notice a difference in terms of direct costs due to the technological characteristics of each one. That is why it is very important to calculate the economic efficiency of the types of aggregates chosen for different agricultural works. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to present an updated evolution of vegetable agricultural production in Vrancea county, during the period 2017-2021, with focus on the county's contributions in total at the country level, using the National Institute of Statistics (NIS) as principal data source. In order to meet the objectives, the methodology of research was based on indicators frequently used in papers about vegetable agricultural production, represented as values and/or percentage units. In 2021, Vrancea county detained 108 civil employment population (with 17% less than in 2017), through 22 employers in agriculture (52% less than in 2017). Among the main findings from the analyse are the following: the areas cultivated with corn grains, oat, sunflower, vegetables (all), dried onion, tomatoes, total fruits trees, plum, apples, pears, cherries and burgundy decreased among the county between 2017 and 2021 period and the areas cultivated with wheat, barley and vineyards in bearing increased. About the production, at the county level, the production of wheat, oat, barley, total fruit trees, plum, apple, pears, cherries, burgundy and grapes increased and the productions like: corn grains, sunflowers, vegetables (all), dried onion, tomatoes, decreased in the analysed period (2017-2021). From the conclusions of this paper, we found out that besides the good image in terms of wine fields, is observed that total fruit production increased by 50%, which can mean a new growth area of the county, regarding of vegetable agricultural production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the paper was to analyze cereal production in Dolj County and in Romania in the period 2017-2021 in order to identify the main trends, based on the statistical data provided by National Institute of Statistics and processing them by comparison method and time and structural indices. Dolj County has a total area of 741,401 ha (7th place at national level - 3.11% of the total), an agricultural area of 585,135 ha (2nd place at national level - 32.57%) and an arable area of 488,560 ha (2nd place at national level - 39.03%). The county is characterized by favorable agro-productive conditions for cereal cultivation, taking into account climatic factors and soils specific to the county (for example, sandy soils for rye cultivation). The county cultivated (on average) 331,450.80 ha with cereals, predominantly wheat and grain maize (60.5, and 26.53% of the total), obtained a total production of 1,567,667 t (predominantly wheat and maize with 54.89 and 33.96% of the total), and the average yield per hectare reached 4,728 kg. It can be said that Dolj County can decisively influence, in certain situations, the cereals market in Romania and the South-West Oltenia Region, but it must be aimed at improving the performance of this side of vegetal activity, in order to capitalize on the existing potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The organic farming system emerged in the context of sustainable agricultural development, contributing to the promotion of an agricultural system that protects the environment. The specific practices of ecological agriculture contribute to the protection of biodiversity, to the maintenance of soil fertility, to the reduction of soil erosion, to the reduction of pollution of water resources, and to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Also, in organic farming, energy consumption is reduced because this farming system is based on practices that require a lot of manual labour compared to conventional agriculture that consumes more energy. The European Commission demands, through the European Green Pact - Farm to Fork, that, by 2030, 25% of European agriculture should be organic. Based on these considerations, the authors of this paper carried out a study on the evolution of organic agriculture in Europe with an emphasis on Romania to analyse whether this objective proposed by the EU is achievable or not. The result of the analysis highlights that it is unlikely that this particularly ambitious goal will be achieved by 2030, noting that, in 2021, only 4.3% of the agricultural area cultivated in the ecological system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper analyzed the dynamics of cultivated area, production and yield in vegetal sector of Romania's agriculture in the period 2007-2020 and also in the decade 2014-2020 versus 2007-2013 in order to quantify the effects of the implemented agricultural strategy aligned to the EU CAP. The data from National Institute of Statistics were processed using fixed basis indices, structural indices, growth rate, mean, regression models, R square and comparisons between the two decades. In 2020, Romania had 8,263,672 ha cultivated by +6.25% more than in 2007. Crop structure included: cereals 64.6%, oil plants 20.3%, vegetables 2.4%, leguminous plants 1.3% and 1% potatoes. The area cultivated with cereals raised by +4.07% reaching 5,338,067 ha in 2020, of which maize and wheat 87.9%. In the decade 2014-2020 versus 2007-2013, it was registered a larger total cultivated area and also with cereals (wheat and maize), leguminous crops, oil crops (sunflower), but a reduced area with vegetables and potatoes. Cereals production increased by +132.29% accounting for 18,153,714 tons in 2020, of which maize 55.61% and wheat 35.2%. In the period 2007-2020, important production gains were carried out in leguminous grains, oil seeds, fruits and vegetables, but potatoes production declined by -49.63%. In the period 2014-2020 versus 2007-2013, production gains were registered in cereals, wheat, maize, leguminous grains, in oil seeds, sunflower seeds and fruits, but losses by -4.14% in vegetables and -21.26% in potatoes. In 2020 versus 2007, yield level was accounted for 3,400 kg/ha cereals (+123.24%), 2,966 kg/ha wheat (+92.47%), 3,977 kg/ha maize (+160.61%), 1,858 kg/ha sunflower seeds (+184.09%), 15,843 kg/ha potatoes (+15.95%), 21,858 kg/ha tomatoes (+57.07%). In the period 2014-2020 versus 2007-2013, yield gain accounted for: +50.08% cereals grains, +44.7% wheat, +54.18% maize, +61.5% sunflower seeds, +13.13% potatoes and +12.83% tomatoes. In conclusion, the implementation of Romania's strategy of agriculture development in the vegetal sector aligned to CAP has resulted in higher productions and yields of the analyzed groups of crops, except potatoes production which declined by about 50% in 2020 compared to 2007, and also, in the 2nd decade 2024-2020 versus 2007-2013, it was registered a decrease by -4.14% in vegetables and by -21.26% in potatoes, which is justified by the decline in cultivated area. This performance is due to the efforts made by farmers to obtain better results in their business and to the financial support given by the EU and Romanian Government. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Romania is organized with all the 41 counties into 8 development regions. Some regions have an important representation for quality schemes and products that enrich the cultural and gastronomic heritage of the area. Among the 4,857 certified products at national level, the highest share belongs to mountain products, an aspect which consolidates the national and not necessarily international representativeness. The purpose of the paper is to analyse the status of agri-food products with national recognition and products with international recognition regarding the attestation of quality schemes. The Pearson correlation coefficient and the linear and polynomial regression functions (2nd, 3rd and 4th degree) were used to analyze the relationship between the number of certified products and the number agricultural holdings. The data are collected from national and European registers (e-Ambrosia). For the certified products, the data were extracted for the period 2005-2023, and regarding agricultural holdings, 2002-2020 was analyzed. The results pointed out that there is no direct relationship between agricultural holdings and the number of certified products and that the center and northwest regions are the ones that best represent Romania in terms of agro-food products with gastronomic value and certified quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The survey of the structure of farms is carried out by all the member states of the European Union, with agricultural holding as the statistical unit of measure. Thus, all the member states of the European Union are based on the definition of agricultural exploitation where it is mentioned that "agricultural exploitation means a single unit, both from a technical and economic point of view, with a single management, which carries out its agricultural activities on the economic territory of the EU, either as a primary activity or as a secondary activity". The purpose of the paper is to highlight the evolution and importance of studying agriculture, more specifically agricultural holdings, by performing a qualitative and quantitative analysis of the specialized literature. Thus, to achieve the proposed goal, the web of science database was accessed in order to perform a bibliometric analysis. Thus, following the application of the bibliometric analysis, it can be argued that this sector has been given considerable interest, as evidenced by the high number of articles published recently, regarding the analysis of agricultural holdings. By querying the mentioned database, 26,804 scientific articles were found after the phrase "agricultural farms". Most such papers were published by authors from the US (28.4% of the total number of papers) and China (18.7% of the total number of papers) in the Journal of agricultural and food chemistry (1.52%) and Acta horticulture (1.39%). Because this topic of agricultural holdings is vast and many countries are involved in approaching it in different ways, further studies are recommended on analyzing the evolution and importance of agricultural holdings in different countries and identifying the discrepancies between them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper aims to identify the main aspects of digitalization in the EU and Romania at present, in general, and emphasizing on agriculture, because in this sector has a deep impact on infrastructure and work resources. The EU average for DESI index quantifying digital economy performance was compared with the index in the member states to show the differences in the performance of the digital economy. The aspects related to the impact of digitalization in agriculture from many points of view, but mainly on human resources have also been highlighted. Index scores differ from one country to another and reflect the performance result of the efforts that each member state has made to implement digital economy. The higher the index value, the higher the digital economy performance in that country. During the period 2017-2022, Finland, Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden have maintained their top position in the EU, while Romania and Bulgaria are situated on the last places. Romania should be focused on the improvement of digital infrastructure, promotion of digital competences, innovation and entrepreneurship in order to increase its performance in digital economy. Major efforts should be done to improve connectivity, educational programmes in digital competences and to develop a favourable business environment for contributing to its digital transformation and integration into the EU digital unique market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Romania is an important agricultural producer in the Black Sea basin, which benefits from pedoclimatic conditions favourable for the cultivation of oil plants. In this context, the paper aims to identify the position occupied by Romania in the global trade of rapeseed and sunflower seeds, for the period 2018-2022. To this end, quantitative and value imports and exports were analysed for these product categories, based on the statistical data available on specialized websites such as ITC. The results of the study show that Romania was the most important exporter worldwide, both in terms of value and quantity, of sunflower seeds in the period 2018-2021. In 2022, it lost the 1st place to Ukraine. Rapeseed ranked 5th in terms of exported quantity and 6th in terms of export values, among the world's top exporters. Also, Romania registered an increasing trend in the imports of sunflower and rapeseed for the studied period, especially in 2022. Imports of sunflower seeds placed Romania on the 4th place, and those of rapeseed on the 11th place in terms of quantity and respectively 12th for value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the study was to analyze the main indicators carried out in agriculture for assessing the contribution of agriculture to the economic development in Romania in the period 2013-2022 based on the data provided by National Institute of Statistics. The data were processed using fixed and structural indices, regression equations, determination coefficient, graphical illustrations and comparisons. The results highlighted that in the studied period, Romania's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increased 2.21 times reaching Lei 1,409 Billion in 2022. Agriculture produced Lei 63.04 Billion GDP in 2022, and its contribution to Romania's GDP is 4.5%. Gross Value Added (GVA) increased 2.28 times in the economy accounting for Lei 1,282.3 Billion in 2022. Despite that GVA raised by 118.6% in agriculture, accounting for Lei 58.98 Billion in 2022, agriculture's contribution was only 4.6%. Gross Fixed Capital Formation (GFCF) raised in the economy by +131.55% accounting for Lei 377,2 Billion in 2022, but in agriculture it was very small, only Lei 2.65 Billion. Net Investment Rate (NIR) was 27.4% in 2022, but in agriculture only 4.5%. A decline by 8.7% in the number of employees was noticed in the economy, employment reaching 7,806 thousand persons in 2022, but in agriculture the reduction was 65.7% remaining only 878 thousand employees. Despite that both export and import value increased, the trade balance was a negative one, the deficit at the end of 2022 being EUR -34,101 Million. The agro-food export value raised by +126.32% and reached EUR 11,960 Million in 2022, which means that agriculture contributes by about 13% to Romania's exports, while the contribution to imports raised by +167.54%, accounting for EUR 13,248.6 Million. The deficit in the agro-food trade balance accounted for EUR -1,288.6 Million, Romania being a net importing country. Despite of its increased contribution to GDP and GVA, agriculture is facing a gap versus industry and services in GFCF and NIR. Without a better technical endowment and higher investment, agriculture cannot apply modern technologies to increase production and sustain internal market and export and to diminish imports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil is one of the Earth's most precious resources and is essential to sustaining life on our planet. However, soils are increasingly subject to degradation due to intensive agricultural practices, deforestation, pollution and climate change. Conserving soil and preventing soil degradation has become imperative in our efforts to ensure food security, protect biodiversity and maintain healthy ecosystems. Impact strategies are essential to maintain soil fertility, prevent soil erosion and degradation, conserve water and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In this context, the aim of the research is to explore the impact of key conservation strategies and practices that can be adopted to protect soils and ensure their long-term sustainability. Data were collected from public institutions, from the official National Institute of Statistics, NIS, website Tempo-Online and the National Land Improvement Administration. Implementing soil conservation strategies is essential to protect the environment, ensure the sustainability of the food system and maintain the ecological balance of our planet. Soil conservation is a vital component of sustainable development and environmental protection in Romania. Through effective implementation of conservation strategies and stakeholder involvement, the country can protect the essential resource of soil with a positive impact for future generations. The strategic elements and techniques discussed in this article contribute to maintaining ecological balance and conserving natural resources for future generations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Professional training and consulting systems in the field of plant protection, and not only, are of particular importance for our country in the context of agricultural policies developed at the level of the European Union. The particularities specific to the implementation of community policies in Romania must be reflected in the level of specialization of agricultural specialists regarding their skills. Agricultural consultancy services represent a vital element in the field of informational and technological transfer in agriculture, providing farmers with information that can contribute to improving their standard of living and that of the rural population. From the research carried out, it appears that Romanian farmers need specialized consultancy in three directions: 1) preparation for accessing European Rural Development Program funds; 2) streamlining plant and animal production; 3) facilitating access to consultants on legal issues, cadastre, feasibility studies, marketing, management, etc. The paper also presents results regarding plant protection products used by farmers in Ilfov county in 2020. The purpose of the paper is assess the farmers knowledge where they could find valuable information to their problems regarding plant protection as reflection of their training level and of the efficiency of the consultancy system in Romania. The working method consisted of a sociological survey and an opinion poll. For technical advice, 28.0% of the surveyed farmers would turn to the Agricultural Directorate. For the use of plant protection products, 51.0% of farmers turned to their delivery company. An important shoulder of farmers, 71.0%, are not aware of the National Action Plan regarding the reduction of risks associated with the use of plant protection products. Most of the farmers, 45.0%, would turn to a private consultant to receive support in accessing European Rural Development Program funds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of communication networks has an increasingly important role in the development and modernization of the fields of activity of agriculture. This trend has effects between different actors in the production chain and creates a tighter connection between the stages of land cultivation or the maintenance of natural pastures, ecological grazing, milk, and meat production, respectively the preparation of the final products and their distribution, including marketing techniques. In the paper, an analysis will be made of the specialized publications in the field of Agribusiness in Romania and the effectiveness of the various communication channels used in the present will be discussed with the aim of contributing to mitigating the current problems of natural grazing activities and identifying the main pillars of development and progress. This research paper utilizes an academic research methodology aiming to highlight the importance of communication networks in promoting natural grazing activities. The results of the study demonstrate that the establishment of networks can significantly contribute to the modernization of the Romanian agricultural sector, aligning it with the principles of sustainable competitiveness and resilience. In conclusion, this study provides evidence that the establishment of such networks is essential for the development of a sustainable and resilient agricultural sector in Romania. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to present the procedure of managing public procurement contracts for sustainable agricultural products from the public entities perspective (with reference to setting criteria for selecting the suppliers, contract management, etc), but also from the perspective of the selling companies (from drafting the tender to products being delivered). The research is based on data processed by Eurostat (2012-2021), but also on information taken from the Romanian Electronic Public Procurement System (2018-2022). The analyses in the paper concern indicators such as: the procurement of agricultural products from Romania, and at European level the organic production of animal products, the number of processors of sustainable agricultural products, etc. In conclusion, since the public institutions buy large quantities of agricultural products, but the market for sustainable agricultural products is restricted, a global strategy for rethinking the public procurement in this area is clearly required. The work is relevant both for the contracting authorities with respect to the management of public procurement for agricultural products, but also for the companies with respect to the business management of public contracts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper purpose was to assess the impact of climate change on wheat, maize and sunflower yield in the period 2017-2021, using statistical data from National Institute of Statistics (NIS) and National Administration of Meteorology (NAM) and other sources. Comparison method was used to evaluate the deviations between the registered air temperatures and precipitations and the 1981-2010 climatological norm. Graphic method reflected the dynamics of monthly air temperatures and rainfalls in each year. Descriptive statistics for mean, standard deviation and coefficient of variation reflected an more comprehensive image upon air temperature, precipitations and yield. Correlations and regression equations were used to establish the intensity of the kinks between climate factors and yield. The highest average air temperature In Romania was 12.130C in 2019. In the period 2017-2020, the average annual temperatures exceeded the climatological norm 1981-2010 accounting for 9.10C. The lowest rainfalls, 614.2 mm, were recorded in 2019, being below of 633.1 mm the norm for the period 1981-2010. The high temperatures associated with drought and low precipitations have deeply affected yield of many agricultural crops, including maize, wheat and sunflower. The highest wheat yield 4,888 kg/ha was achieved in 2017, and the lowest one, 2,966 kg/ha in 2020. Maize registered the highest performance of 7,644 kg/ha in 2018, and the lowest one, 3,977 kg/ha in 2020. Sunflower carried out the high performance 3,041 kg/ha in 2018, and the lowest one, 1,858 kg/ha in 2020. The worst agricultural years for these three crops was 2020, but 2017 favored wheat, while 2018 favored maize and sunflower. The correlation coefficient had in general small values between average temperature and yield, but a higher link with precipitations level. The multiple correlation between yield, air temperatures and precipitations was: r= 0.817 for wheat, r = 0.116 for maize and r = 0.504 for sunflower. In the South Eastern Dobrogea, the driest area in Romania, the rainfalls declined by 65% in the period 2018-2020 having a deep negative impact on sunflower seeds yield, which decreased from 4,282 kg/ha in 2018, to 1,503 kg/ha in 2020. The correlation between precipitations and sunflower yield positive and very strong (r = 0.737). As a conclusion, the climate conditions should be analyzed in each farm and farmers have to take measure to adapt the technologies for sustaining production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Romania owns important areas with High Natural Value (HNV) agriculture systems. The aim of the paper was to assess the biodiversity aspects of microbial communities in two soils from the areal selected for HNV payments, that belongs to the Pilot Zone II in Lupac, Caras-Severin County: P3-cultivated in conventional system with maize for forage and P4-under HNV agriculture system with forage plants, mainly leguminous, between abandoned orchard trees. Microbial counts and taxonomy of bacteria and fungi have been determined (by dilution plate method). Diversity index of Shannon and similarity index between the habitats have been calculated, as well as soil respiration potential (estimated by substrate-induced respiration method). Microbial diversity varied from 3 to 9 species. Dominant species included Pseudomonas fluorescent, Bacillus spp. and cosmopolitan genera Penicillium and Trichoderma, with role in improving the control of phytopathogens in rhizosphere and nutrients uptake by plants, aggregation of soil, cellulose decomposition and carbon sequestration. Circular paper chromatograms provided information on biological quality of studied soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to further strengthen the belief within the academic, professional and policy making communities about the need to speed up the adoption of Agriculture 4.0 technologies in the Romanian farms as the grassroot constituents of the national agriculture in order to secure their future competitiveness in the context of new European agricultural policies and regulations. A review of the most influential papers and the bibliometric mapping of articles on change management as well as ways to accelerate change processes through change agents is discussed. Agrinnovator is the think tank of young digital agriculture practitioners in the Romanian farms. Their public policy proposal to create The Farm Technology Officers Program in order to accelerate digitalization through relevant change agents is also discussed. Their interviews highlighted the need for government support in creating scale and impetus for the digitalization of agriculture. It is deemed to be a structural countrywide change that will happen faster if the adequate change agents are used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chemical fertilizers applied to Romania's soils represent a particularly important aspect in ensuring a qualitative and quantitative production. The expenditures that farmers have to be able to fertilize the soil correctly and with a sufficient amount have become over the years increasingly higher. The paper analyzes in evolution, over two periods of time, 2007-2014 and 2014-2021, 2 aspects: the surfaces of agricultural holdings, by classes of economic size; the main technical-economic indicators of the use of chemical fertilizers in agricultural holdings, namely the expenditures per hectare of agricultural land with chemical fertilizers, in total and by types: N, P205 and K2O fertilizers, and the expenditures with chemical fertilizers to obtain 100 euros of plant production. The data were retrieved from the FADN platform and statistically interpreted using mean, standard deviation, coefficient of variation, growth rate, t-test of significance. The conclusion that emerges from the analysis undertaken is that there are big differences between the two analyzed periods, in both of them are signs of variations over the years and increases in chemical fertilizer expenses, but the second period, 2014-2021, shows a greater homogeneity of data, even decreases in the higher classes, while the classes (1) 2,000 - < 8,000 EUR and (2) 8,000 - < 25,000 EUR have increased expenditures per ha. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The choice of aggregates is also made depending on the direct operating costs. If two aggregates, according to the cost of the works, require the same production costs, the one that satisfies the requirements of the machine system is chosen. When performing works with different agricultural aggregates, the optimal option is always chosen, which is evaluated according to the minimum value of the number of aggregates that take part in the execution of the work or according to the minimum value of time, respectively according to fuel consumption. Agricultural aggregates, while moving on the ground, consume a large amount of energy, which is why the problem arises of determining, on a scientific basis, some constructive and operating parameters at which the energy consumption is minimal. The present work presents an analysis of the consumption and costs of mechanised works and materials used in maize in the territory of Gurasada commune, Hunedoara County, Romania, in the year 2022-2023, in order to optimize the cultural technology. The mechanization technology for corn crop in the studied area was realized on a soil with high fertility. The agricultural machinery used for the applied technology is the one that the farm has. The main mechanization works for corn cultivation were: land fertilization, land preparation, ploughing, sowing, weeding, mechanical harrowing, as well as harvesting. After studying the corn crop over a longer period taking into account the pedo-climatic conditions as well as the productions obtained, we can conclude the following: can be obtained good yields if a series of recommendations given in the conclusions will be respected. In order to obtain a profit in the corn culture, it is recommended to use drought-resistant hybrids with high production potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Romania, excessive fragmentation of croplands remains persistent in areas of significant agricultural potential as a consequence of combined factors involving both land governance and farms' characteristics. This paper examines the fragmentation of agricultural land use in the Romanian Plain, focusing on the impact of land policies implemented in Romania during the past three decades. The analysis relies on a survey of local policies that helps to distinguish three phases that marked the evolution of the fragmentation of agricultural land during 1990–2020. Additionally, metrics derived from remote sensing time series further assist in capturing the fragmentation levels during the identified phases and the spatial differences for the analyzed period. The fragmentation levels appear strikingly contrasting between the western part of the Romanian Plain and the Danube alluvial areas; this has been attributed as being the joint result of various land governance components which both enabled and constrained proper utilization of agricultural land, and concurrent factors related to economic and sociodemographic changes. We find excessive fragmentation emerged in plain field areas, triggered by the high overall rates of institutional change. The findings underscore the importance of jointly considering the fragmentation phenomenon in its evolution, intensity and spatial differences for effective land use policy formulation, emphasizing the need for proactive governance to support the efficient use of agricultural resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper emphasizes the importance of subsidizing agricultural activities, taking into account the climate changes that are more and more evident making agricultural holdings particularly vulnerable from an economic point of view, the most exposed being the small ones. The technical-economic the economic-financial analysis methods drew a technical-economic diagnosis of a small-scale vegetable farm in Romania, in order to highlight the major impact that subsidies have in achieving incomes that ensure the continuity of the activity. The vegetable farm under study was established in 2018, being included in the category of micro-enterprises paying income tax. It owns agricultural land exclusively on lease, the existing crops being those of wheat, corn, alfalfa, bell peppers and melons, with average productions/ha achieved similar to or below the average productions/ha recorded at national, regional and county level. From an economic and financial point of view, this holding presents a financial instability during the analysis period, based on the losses recorded in 2018 and 2020 and a non-compliant financial autonomy based on insufficient equity capital. It does not have the ability to generate constant profit during the period included in the study by capitalizing on production, it being small and insufficient, which denotes the major dependence on the income from exploitation subsidies in order to be profitable. Liquidity indicators evolve fluctuating and solvency is generally downward and positioned above the safety threshold, which places small-scale vegetable farms at risk of insolvency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper proposes an analysis of the effective rate of absorption of European Structural Funds in Romania, allocated to the national agricultural sector, in the period 2019-2022.The research was carried out on the basis of the official information, provided by the Romanian and European statistical systems. National Institute of Statistics and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. The results of the research show a strong correlation between the effective absorption rate of the European Structural Funds and the total net investments in the agricultural sector at the national level. Agriculture can be considered as a model for the other domestic economic sectors from the perspective of the degree of absorption of European funds. Considering the importance of the agricultural sector, it is necessary that the value of net investments increases, regardless of the source of financing used, but above all that farmers make the most of the opportunity to access non-reimbursable structural funds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to complement previous studies and create an overview of the subject of agricultural holdings both at the Romanian and European level. According to the statistical data and using a quantitative and qualitative research method, it was found that more than 30 years after the restoration of land ownership, a percentage of approximately 96% of the holdings in Romania are smaller than 10 hectares, while over 70% of them are represented by farms up to 2 hectares. Therefore there huge differences and discrepancies between Romania and other EU countries in terms of agricultural holdings. The results obtained confirm that small-sized farms are found in countries such as Romania, Malta, Cyprus, Greece and Portugal, while medium-sized holdings are found especially in countries such as Poland, Spain and Italy, the rest of the holdings, those between 50 and over 100 hectares, they are mostly found in Luxembourg, Finland, the Netherlands and even Germany and France. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crop management in the Romanian agriculture faces many risks and challenges that directly influence the technical and economic performance of the farms and implicitly the sustainability of the agricultural sector. These challenges range from climate change to resource issues, from plant health problems to market and regulatory issues. It is therefore essential to understand these issues in detail to develop effective crop management strategies and support Romanian agriculture in the face of a complex and changing environment. Through methods of statistical analyses and bibliographic documentation, we will identify and analyze this risks and challenges in detail in order to obtain a more comprehensive picture of the agricultural landscape in Romania in order to develop some necessary measures to reduce and, as far as possible, eliminate these risks. Data were collected from public institutions, from the official National Institute of Statistics, NIS, website Tempo-Online. The aim of crop management in Romania, as in any other country, is to ensure efficient, sustainable and profitable agricultural production. By adopting these recommendations and proactively addressing risks and challenges, agriculture in Romania can become more resilient and sustainable, further ensuring the supply of high-quality food and contributing to the country's economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the paper is to identify the current situation in Romania in terms of the vegetable agricultural sector, based on the data obtained from the National Institute of Statistics, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in Romania and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. The research question is: how the agricultural area has been modified in the period 1990-2020 and what are the implications on vegetal origin production? In pursuing this, statistical data on agricultural areas and the productions obtained are analysed. The results of the research show that the agricultural area in Romania has decreased since 1990, as well as the agricultural production among certain products, which has implications for ensuring food security, Generally, Romania ensures its population's food security, even if in the last period the agricultural area decreased concomitantly with the production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of sustainable development appeared in the attempt to reconcile agri-food production with measures to conserve non-renewable resources, but also the attempt to protect the environment, and in this process the farmer has an important role given the effects that specific activities have so much on the environment. Because of this, more and more actors involved in this process, from farmers to consumers, but also politicians have begun to pay more attention to organic farming, as an advantageous means of reconciliation between man and nature. In this paper we aim to analyze the production costs recorded in six crops, both in the case of applying the conventional production system and in the case of applying the ecological system in Romania, in order to determine the profitability of those crops. The research methodology involved the use of existing data in domestic and international databases, but also data collected through the project ADER 23.1.1. Technical and economic substantiation of the production costs and estimates regarding the capitalization prices of the main vegetal and animal products, obtained in conventional system and in ecological agriculture, data that were processed, analyzed and which formed the basis for formulating conclusions. The conclusion was that sugar beet and sunflower are profitable crops both in the conventional and organic system, while rape, soybean, rice and hemp registered losses which have to be covered by subsidies. Income depends on production performance and selling price, in the both systems, and case of organic products is inversely proportional. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the profitability of large-scale agricultural companies in Romania in terms of land area under cultivation, i.e., companies with over 2,000 hectares and legally organised as limited liability companies paying corporate tax. The research is based on the financial results account, in which the information is structured by activity, and covers both the cultivation and financial activity, and allows the determination of potential cash accumulation balances, useful in showing how the factors of production involved are remunerated and how the agricultural activity yields financial resources, indicators known as interim management statements. The details of these accumulation balances are shown in the profit and loss statement by: 'trade margin', 'production of the financial year, 'value added', 'gross operating surplus', 'operating profit', 'financial result', 'gross result for the year' and 'net result for the year'. Thus, the interim management statements (IMS) as successive fractions in establishing the final result, are determined in cascade, starting from the most comprehensive, i.e., the trade margin and the production of the financial year, and ending with the net result for the year, which summarises the process of the profit or loss from an unprofitable activity, also specifying how the managerial activity of the company was carried out at each level of accumulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to present the land quality and productivity of the administrative territorial unit of Murfatlar, Constanța County, located in south-east of Romania, an area well known for its vineyards, while used for specific purposes, such as agricultural destinations. The assessment is based on the analyses of climate (temperature and precipitation), soil (type, texture, reaction, gleization, presence of microforms and water), relief (slope), as well as other aspects of land, and their interpretation in order to determine the fertility of the site and its suitability for cultures (such as wheat, canola, corn, etc.). For the results and discussions phase, the soil bonitation note was calculated and a qualitative classification map was made to illustrate the potential productivity level. However, due to the fact that the soil evaluation is developing under both natural and human-caused environmental changes, the bonitation note needs to be revised often. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The so-called 'sea of plastic' in Almería, Spain, is a 450km2 area devoted to intensive greenhouse farming managed by 10,000 small farmers who employ a labour force of 50,000 workers, mostly immigrants from Africa and eastern Europe. Romanian immigrants arrived at the beginning of 2000s and have occupied various positions within this agro-industrial district. Some started their own businesses in greenhouse reparation and construction employing fellow Romanians. They seized the market, providing more stable jobs through their transnational networks, and extending their businesses nationally and internationally. This paper analyses the global processes 'from below' that explain the occupation of specific economic spaces by transnational migrant entrepreneurs. Based on ethnographic fieldwork and social network analysis, the paper shows how the seasonal mobilization of a workforce through a transnational social field connecting Romania and Spain provided a competitive advantage to these entrepreneurs to start investing in their ventures and acquiring new markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we discuss the evolutionary implications of the correlation between different species of Peucedanum plants and the distribution of Gortyna borelii moth populations in Romania. We highlight geographic separation and isolation among these populations due to anthropogenic landscape fragmentation, which hinders genetic exchange. A geometric morphometric analysis was utilized to visualize and compare the morphometric variations in relation to the environmental variables, particularly the host plant. Additionally, the distribution of G. borelii populations across Europe and in Romania that are correlated with the host plant was analyzed. The significant morphological and morphometric differences between the analyzed populations support our working hypothesis, according to which the use of different Peucedanum species by the larvae of G. borelii leads to an intraspecific diversification correlated with the host plant species. The newly discovered population of G. borelii in Romania holds substantial conservation importance, necessitating protection measures, including demarcating habitat areas and raising awareness among stakeholders. G. borelii is a protected species at the European level (Habitats Directive 92/43/EEC, Appendices II and IV), considered endangered due to the isolation of its populations and anthropogenic pressures exerted through agricultural practices. Understanding the impact of agricultural practices on their habitat is crucial for effective management strategies. Overall, this study sheds light on the complex interplay between ecological adaptation, host plant specialization, and speciation dynamics in phytophagous insects, emphasizing the importance of conservation efforts to preserve G. borelii populations and their habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change, global warming are phenomena that have changed the face of the world and that have a direct impact on agricultural production and food security, given that the world's population is growing from one year to the next, without the possibility of growth and natural resources. Another worrying phenomenon is the production of greenhouse gases and their destructive effect on the planet. That's why the technology that is being perfected every day tries to find solutions that simplify both the efforts made to obtain food, but also the possibility of increasing the efficiency of production processes. In this way, in the agricultural field, the idea of developing dual systems appeared, which would protect both agricultural crops, with the aim of increasing productivity, but which would also contribute to obtaining solar energy, necessary not only for own consumption, but also to be included in consumer networks, the proposed concept being that of the AgriVoltaic system. The idea that appeared in 1981 began to be developed, currently reaching the development of a technology that is starting to be adopted in many countries of the world, including Romania. In the current paper, we propose to analyze the opportunity of using AgriVoltaic technology, its advantages and disadvantages, but also the way in which it could contribute to increasing the profitability of agricultural farms. At the same time, increasing the degree of awareness regarding the advantages of introducing agricultural systems and the method of implementing the systems is another objective of the current work. Starting from the analysis of the specialized literature, we outlined the term Agrivoltaic technology and continued the study with an analysis of the possibilities of implementing this technology in Romania, due to the solar energy potential that it benefits from. The research methodology assumed on the one hand the bibliographic analysis, and on the other hand the analysis of the development potential of the system, taking into account the existing agricultural areas and crops suitable for this system. As a result of the research carried out, it turned out that although there are confirmed advantages of using AgriVoltaic technology, it does not yet benefit from sufficient visibility or high accessibility among farmers. Also, the existing legislation at the level of Romania does not yet make possible the development of the dual system. Among the disadvantages of using agrivoltaic systems are the still high costs, but the measures to protect the rural landscape, which occupies an important place in sustainable development, even if the energy produced is renewable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the conditions of integration of Romania in the European Union, a profitable and modern agriculture is one of the main conditions for having a competitive economy. That is why, the management of agricultural farms, no matter what their size, is very important in achieving this goal. The paper presents studies and researches made on farm processing machinery management, which is a very important step in a good farm management. We analysed the measures processing operations which are required before the crop may be fed or stored, especially reducing machinery and drying machinery. In what concerns the reducing machinery, we have presented all the types of these machines with their particular characteristics and advantages. We also analysed their mechanisms and the possible adjustments that can be made and presented the importance of drying machines in the final result of farm management and have found the time limits for safe storage of shelled corn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2023, the Romanian Government decided on the reduction and alignment of tax incentives for employees in the IT, construction, agriculture and food industry sectors. This paper aims to analyze the impact on these activity fields, with a focus on the IT sector. For this purpose, indicators such as number of employees, percentage in the total GDP and labor productivity were considered relevant and the data was processed using the regression analysis. Thus, the implementation of fiscal facilities had an overall positive impact on all industries in terms of employment, but not necessarily as a percentage of GDP. A strong, direct link between the increase in the mean salary in the IT industry and number of employees, labor productivity and percentage of GDP was determined, with a coefficient of multiple determination of over 90% for all three regression analyses. The elimination of benefits for the employees working in IT might have a negative impact on the sector which has become a main strategic resource for Romania, mainly because the possibility of working remotely can make companies easily relocate their IT departments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate changes with their effects: floods, drought, desertification affect agricultural production. Likewise, the Agricultural Policies on the European Union, through the Farm to Fork Strategy, propose limiting the amount of fertilizers to improve the quality of the environment. Farmers must adapt and use high-performance technologies to face these challenges. In this context, the study analyses the perception of farmers with large farms regarding the main factors that influence the evolution of agriculture in Romania. According to the survey, the factors that influence the increase in agricultural production are: the use of selected seeds, adapted to the agricultural area where the farm operates, the establishment/expansion of irrigation systems, access to new research in the agricultural field, the increase in the level of training of agricultural personnel, the intensive application of fertilizers and pesticides, easy access to low- cost financing. Regarding the association in agriculture and ecological agriculture adapted to climate change, the farmers' attitude is polarized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The agriculture is facing different pressures linked to diffuse pollution from nutrients and chemicals, water abstraction and hydromorphological changes. According to information reported under the Water Framework Directive, around one third of surface water bodies fail to achieve good status because of one or several of these pressures. Using sustainable management practices based on agroecological principles, organic farming, and nature-based solutions, with multiple sustainability benefits, can contribute to reducing the magnitudes of pressures on water, enhancing the long-term resilience of agriculture to climate changes and benefit biodiversity. Investing in treatment plants, pipes, and conveyance schemes, is often the most trusted solution, but conventional engineered methods represent end-of-pipe solutions that do not address pollution at the source. The paper is presenting opportunities for green infrastructure and nature-based solutions application in Romania to aid in addressing some of the situations mentioned above. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The South-East region could benefit from the rural area. Agriculture has an important share in the region's economy, 40.4% of the region's employed population activating in this sector. The agricultural land represent 65% of the total area of the region and the private sector holds the largest share of agricultural land. The South-East region ranks first in the country, regarding area of the vineyards, holding 40.3% of the country's wine-growing area. There are essential elements in the region that can lead to a positive evolution regarding rural development, if European funds for agriculture will be drawn and used efficiently. The paper proposes an integrate analysis of current situation of South East region by means of data and statistics provided by international and national statistics institutions. The purpose of the paper is to evaluate the evolution of Romanian South East region under the influence of European funds for agriculture. It is good to understand the reason of current evolution in order to forecast the future evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper represents a study on the evolution of agricultural holdings in small individual peasant households in Romania and their importance in sustainable agriculture. Agriculture is one of the basic branches of the national economy. Sustainable agriculture involves obtaining healthy and quality foods, conserving natural resources and preserving biodiversity. Small peasant households generally meet these requirements of sustainable agriculture, given that they generally have small areas of agricultural land near the house used mainly as family gardens that are worked more with hand tools or small machining which do not destroy soil structure by compaction, and chemicals for fighting diseases, pests and weeds are used little or no use. Also, natural fertilizers are usually used and the supplementation with macro and chemical microelements is done in balanced doses. Based on data from the Institute of Statistics, between 2002 - 2016 there is an increase of agricultural holdings in small peasant farms between 2002-2010 (in 2002 and 2010 the two General Agricultural Census took place) and a decrease between the years 2010-2016. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper was to find a useful correlation between the costs and the size of the economic unit involved in the agricultural input supply. This relationship was analysed in the current paper in order to verify if the the practical situation on the agricultural input market in Romania allows to perform economies of scale, according to the conditions in which the economic units are operating. The research methodology consisted of analysing the first 10 firms that are agricultural input suppliers, in correlation with another 15 firms of smaller size than the first ones. The sampling was not representative for the agricultural input supply in Romania, but it allowed to highlight the impact of economies of scale on the value of costs and the management of improving and stabilizing the position on the market of these economic actors. The obtained results showed that the agricultural input suppliers take advantage of economies of scale, but they choose to use these advantages towards securing some benefits for clients (agricultural farms), in order to maximize their market share and to consolidate their brand image. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to present the evolution of agriculture in the Giurgiu County, during the period 2014-2018, analyzing in particular one of the two major components, namely the vegetal production. Regarding the active population in Giurgiu County, 41.69% is involved in agriculture. In order to highlight the main tendencies of the vegetal production in the Giurgiu County, the areas cultivated with: main cereals, main oilseeds plants, potatoes, melons, perennial fodder, vegetables, as well as the areas occupied by orchards in bearing, flowers and ornamental plants, vineyards in bearing were studied. Wheat occupies the largest area within this county. In 2018, the largest areas were cultivated with wheat - 85,861 ha, maize - 44,404 ha and sunflower - 27,350 ha. For the analyzed period, there were increases in the surface of oats, rapeseeds, soybeans, perennial fodder, vineyards in bearing, flowers and ornamental plants. Apart from rye, sunflower and potatoes, for the other crops analyzed, production increases are recorded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper analyzed the use of pesticides in Romania in the period 2007-2020, based on the official statistical data by type of pesticide, at the national and territorial level, and using fixed and structural indices, concentration indices and time and spatial comparisons. In the year 2020, pesticides were applied on larger surfaces than in 2007 and they accounted for 3.88 million ha for herbicides, 2.39 million ha for fungicides, and 2.34 million ha for insecticides. But, the total consumption decreased by 26% for insecticides and by 23% for herbicides, but it increased by 8.2% in case of fungicides. The national mean consumption of pesticides per ha declined and in 2020 accounted for 0.27 kg a.s. insecticide, 0.75 kg herbicide and 0.76 kg fungicide. Romania comes on the last position in the EU for the smallest average consumption 0.8 kg a.s. pesticide per ha and also for the risk indicator 1 equal to 48. The largest areas where pesticides are applied in the territory are in South Muntenia, West, South East and South West Oltenia micro-regions. Total consumption differs from a region to another as follows: insecticides are much more consumed in South West Oltenia, South Muntenia, North East, South East and West, fungicides are especially applied in South East, North East, Center and West, and herbicides are predominantly utilized in North East, South East, North West, South West Oltenia, and West. The average consumption per ha, over the national mean, is higher in the following regions: insecticides in North West, South West Oltenia, Center and North West, fungicides in the Center, Bucharest-Ilfov, South East and North East and herbicides in North East, North West and Center regions. The values of the concentration indices Herfindahl-Hirschman, Gini-Struck and Concentration coefficient proved that in 2020, Romania was characterized by a relative moderate concentration of the use of pesticides. As a conclusion, pesticides have to be used taking into consideration the local conditions at the regional level and at farm level. Farmers have to evaluate the problems and make the best decision regarding what type of pesticide to use, on what surface, which is the suitable dose per ha, how many treatments are required etc. The EU regulations regarding pesticides imposes a strict control and use of the approved pesticides for compiling with the European the Green Deal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of rising concerns about sustainability and environmental impact, this article focuses on analyzing two remarkable agricultural systems in the South-West Oltenia Development Region: the conventional and the ecological, and emphasizes one of the foundational crops for the region, wheat. The research was derived from a comprehensive questionnaire applied on 18 farms in the South-West Oltenia region: half of them employing ecological practices and the other half using conventional methods. Our primary focus was to determine the most economically viable agricultural system for the area. Through this analysis, the article not only illustrates the evolution of this crop's production from 2020 to 2022, but also provides insights into production costs and their valorization in the market. Moreover, it underscores the importance and advantages of each agricultural system, highlighting potential long-term benefits from both economic and sustainable perspectives. To provide a solid and well-grounded analysis, statistical methods were employed, combined with data obtained fromthe questionnaire administered directly at the farm level in the region. This methodology offers a clear perspective on the profitability and efficiency of the two agricultural systems in the specific context of South-West Oltenia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Romania has an agriculture in which approximately 37% of the population carries out their activity, with approximately 3 million plots, whose average surface is 1.5 ha, a fact that acutely requires the organization of farmers in associative forms, in order to modernize this important economic branch. Starting from these considerations, we analyszed, using the survey method based on a questionnaire, in 3 communes from Călărași county, the situation of farmers, on a structured sample based on the information taken from the Agricultural Register of the town halls, with a number of 238 respondents, having as its main objective the identification and drawing of development directions for small farmers, starting from the situation highlighted by means of processed and analyzed statistical data, but also by applying the opinion survey among small farmers. In order to evaluate the correlation of two important variables in the questionnaire, respectively, the farmer age and the farm size, the chisquare test was used, a test of statistical significance, through which we analyzed the frequencies for the measurable variables, on a nominal or ordinal scale. The possibility of association with other owners of farms in order to develop was analyzed: for the use of the land, the possibility of association being accepted by 46.2% of the respondents; for the association for the purpose of joint use of agricultural machinery, more than 33% support this possibility; for the valorization of agricultural products, over 30% want association with other farmers; 37% would associate for the joint rearing of animals; 34.5% want an association for the processing of agricultura products, 34.5% are followers of this association. We conclude that the organization of agricultural producers in associative forms opens new opportunities for economic development, by attracting local, zonal or regional advantages, and through collective bargaining power to increase the prosperity of the associated members and the communities they belong to. We also appreciate that among the factors of progress for the sustainable development of agriculture and the rural environment, an important place is occupied by the establishment and development of efficient associative structures, which contribute to the socio-economic stabilization of rural areas by favoring the development of agrarian structures integrated with market flows and economically efficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research has highlighted agriculture's contribution to the Romanian bioeconomy growth at the level of each territorial administrative region (NUTS 2). This paper analyzes the relevant socio-economic indicators of the bioeconomy in Romania's regions. We use Eurostat and the National Institute of Statistics from Romania (NIS) database for selected indicators. Cluster analysis using the SPSS software was chosen as a research method. Results revealed disparities between development regions. The article concludes that regional policies and investments from government and private firms have an essential role in developing agriculture and the bioeconomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perhaps one of the most difficult stages in the entire production process is the sale of vegetable production at a price high enough to cover production costs, and especially profitability which is a key factor contributing to the continuation of the activity. In this sense, the present study aims to identify the main ways to capitalize vegetable production of agricultural holdings in Romania. In order to identify the ways of capitalizing the production, a questionnaire was applied to 180 respondents, represented by the managers of some agricultural farms from all over the country. The purpose of the application of this questionnaire was to identify the aspects that hinder the capitalization of vegetable production. According to the study, the majority of farms in Romania are still run or managed by mostly men. At the same time, according to the analyzed sample, young people have the highest share of total respondents, so that the measures pursued through the two Rural Development Programs, namely to rejuvenate generations of farmers, we can say that they have achieved the goal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we investigated the extent to which the accession to the EU has had an effect on increasing the variety of exports of agri-food categories for two Eastern European countries, namely Romania and Bulgaria. We also assessed the impact of changes in the variety of exports of agri-food categories on the dynamics of the volume of exports of agri-food products for these two countries and used the entropy to measure the variability of exports of agri-food products by categories. The results confirm the important role played by related variety in increasing a country's long-term exports of agri-food products and show that the high concentration of exports on a small number of categories of agri-food products that include mostly agricultural raw materials cannot ensure a sustainable increase in the export of agri-food products for Romania. In the case of Bulgaria, the related variety has a positive impact on ensuring a sustainable increase in agri-food exports. The accession to the EU was an important factor for the increase of the exported agri-food goods for Romania while in the case of Bulgaria, the accession to the EU did not mark a positive or negative shock on the volume of exports of agri-food products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]