"Only 60% of the country's consumption is supplied by the domestic market, with 30-35% for fruits and vegetables, whose revenue generated is estimated at around 700 million Euro," said the CEO of the Interprofessional Organisation of Fruit and Vegetable Producers, Prodcom.
According to data supplied by the NIS, Romania's acreage in 1989 was estimated at almost 240,000 hectares; a figure which has dropped to 147,000 hectares. Tanase said that, from this area, only 75,000 hectares are currently productive. Over the last 10 years, only 7,500 hectares of orchards have been planted, according to representatives of the producers. He added that many fruit orchards have aged and the produce is no longer suitable for consumption.
"Romanian fruit orchards and consumption are both becoming smaller. Romanians prefer to consume imported fruits, which are more visually appealing. This is the case for apples, pears, plums, cherries and apricots. Unless changes are promoted, Romanian products could disappear from the market in 3-5 years," affirmed Tanase.
He said that every year, more and more Romanian growers are abandoning their orchards, as they are unable to cover their costs, and they are left with the options of either selling the land or cultivating grain crops. Romanian fruits compete mostly with produce imported from Poland, the Netherlands and Greece.
No Romanian fruits and vegetables on the shelves are organic
According to a report published by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), none of the major retailers in Romania sell domestically-produced organic fruits or vegetables. The study examined the environmental performance of the country's top 11 retailers, namely Auchan, Billa, Carrefour, Cora, Kaufland, Lidl, Mega Image, Metro, Profi, Penny Market and Selgros.
Source: ziaruldeiasi.ro