Economic analysis of potato and tomato trade in Romania: The Gini coefficient

Abstract

Potatoes and tomatoes are the key vegetables of Romanian agriculture, due to their consumption and the large growing areas. The paper analyses import and export of potatoes and tomatoes, and import and export prices for these vegetables, while based on that the Gini coefficient was calculated. According to the value of the Gini coefficient, the concentration of potato import is relatively low, while the export concentration is considerably higher. A similar situation is with tomato, as the values of the Gini coefficient indicate low concentration related to import and relatively high concentration related to export. Association with foreign partners, farmer orientation to quality certifications, investment in infrastructure and efficient marketing are some solutions that can improve the Romanian vegetable market.