The sum allocated this year for the support of the Romanian farmers willing to cultivate tomatoes in protected areas is worth 180 million lei, similar to the one of 2017, the debut year of this programme, with the number of the willing farmers having doubled, says the Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Petre Daea.
"Over 9,000 willing farmers to cultivate tomatoes in protected areas. They have already begun work, they've got courage. These are young people, some have left other activity they were trained for. (...) We have started the Tomatoes programme exactly a year ago. We have only gave them enthusiasm in advance. Enthusiasm and certainty. I want to congratulate all of these exceptional farmers. There, the programme has made it to be seen and felt by both the farmers and the consumers. Obviously, we too have been serious in granting the subsidies," Petre Daea told AGERPRES.
The Agriculture minister said that at the end of 2017, the ministry made it to honour all of its obligations to the farmers, and the market was filled in the extra-season with over 50,000 tonnes of tomatoes.
Romania imported 59,369 tonnes of tomatoes January through September 2017, an amount almost similar to the same period of 2016 (59,075 tonnes), while the exports were insignificant, with only 262.2 tonnes, according to the commercial balance with agrifood products, read by AGERPRES.
According to the statistical data, the tomatoes' average consumption per inhabitant in Romania is 31 kg, against 34.5 kg in the EU, and the yield is 20.27pct of the total vegetable production of Romania.
