The Romanian Farmers' Club (CFRO) has launched the seventh series of the "Young Leaders for Agriculture" programme, a strategic approach designed to train the new generation of farmers, given the accelerated aging of the agricultural workforce.
"The 'Young Leaders for Agriculture' programme meets a major challenge: the accelerated aging of the agricultural workforce. In Romania, over 44% of farmers are over 65 years old, and less than 10% of active farmers are under 40 years old. In the absence of a planned generational transfer, the risk of loss of competitiveness and fragmentation of farms is increasingly high," CFRO representatives are quoted as saying in a statement released on Monday.
The programme is exceeding 500 active students and graduates, and with the launch of the 7th series, half of the objective of 1,000 young people trained by 2027 was reached.
Present at the event, Minister of European Investment and Projects Dragos Pislaru said that the training of young leaders is an investment in the rural future and in the competitiveness of the agri-food chain.
"Romania needs programmes such as Young Leaders for Agriculture, because they build competence, responsibility and vision. The training of young leaders is an investment in the rural future and in the competitiveness of the agri-food chain. The Ministry of European Investment and Projects will look for concrete ways to support the development of training and competitiveness of this strategic sector for the national economy," said Pislaru
In his turn, Jabbar Kanani, founding member of CFRO and chairman of the Board of Directors of Agricover, mentioned that European agriculture needs a new generation of farmers who "not only produce, but lead". "The Young Leaders for Agriculture programme is a strategic investment in these people, professionals who combine innovation, sustainability and leadership to turn agriculture into an engine of progress," Kanani said according to Agerpres.
The programme is supported by the Agricover Group and provides young farmers with modern tools for leadership, management and representation, preparing them to become vectors of change in the agri-food sector.
In the opinion of Liviu Dobre, CEO of Agricover Holding, Romania needs a new generation of farmer-leaders, ready to turn challenges into opportunities and take agriculture to the next level." Today, agriculture is no longer just about working in the fields, but about smart decisions, new technologies, continuous adaptation and an increasingly intense global competition. Agricover has been supporting the programme since the first edition, because Romania needs a new generation of farmer-leaders, ready to turn challenges into opportunities and take agriculture to the next level."
Florian Ciolacu, executive director of CFRO said: "Under Young Leaders for Agriculture, we are building a network of young people who not only take over farms but become opinion and decision-making leaders in the sector. They are the generation that understands the importance of data, digitalisation and cooperation. By investing in their education, we are investing in the competitive future of Romanian agriculture and in our ability to remain relevant in the European market."
The event organised by CFRO brought together young farmers, graduates of the programme, representatives of the financial, academic and institutional environment. Also, the projects developed by the young graduates of the TLA Business Marathon and the initiatives of the Agrinnovator Think Tanks, through which the participants actively contribute to the identification of innovative solutions for digitalisation, financing and sustainability in agriculture, were also presented.
The Romanian Farmers' Club is a professional, non-governmental and apolitical organisation, dedicated to performance in Romanian agriculture. Through its training, innovation and representation programmes, it contributes to strengthening a competitive, sustainable and resilient agriculture, connected to European strategic guidelines.
Comentează