Use of agricultural inputs in the Romanian agriculture - an empirical analysis for the last decade.

Abstract

During the last decade, significant changes occurred in all elements contributing toagricultural productivity. In terms of land, the number of small-size family farms (less than 5 ha)diminished significantly, while the medium-sized ones (5-50 ha) increased. The low amount of inputsused in Romanian agriculture, the current level of technical equipment, together with the poormanagement in the agricultural holdings, can hardly ensure the performance of agricultural operationsin due time, as required by the proper modern cultivation technologies, resulting both in a lowproductivity and in significant harvest losses. The fertilization level is (average at country level) atleast 4 times lower than in other EU Member States. The paper is analyzing as well the trends of laboruse, labor cost and labor productivity in the agricultural sector in Romania compared to the EU.Despite the structural changes and the qualitative positive evolution trends during the last decade, theagricultural efficiency is still moderate as compared to other EU Member States. About three quartersof the family farms are producing for on-farm consumption only (self-consumption), and just half ofthe farms-legal entities are producing mainly for sale. Therefore, a prevalent commercial type ofagriculture in Romania, on solid competitiveness basis, is still something to look forward to.