Miller Magazine Issue 107 / November 2018

ROMANIA 87 MILLER / NOVEMBER 2018 With a population of over 21 million, Romania is one of the largest countries in Central and Eastern Europe. Roma- nia is endowed with substantial natural resources including rich agricultural lands, diverse energy resources such as coal,oil, and natural gas, and an industrial base encompas- sing a wide range of manufacturing activities. It started the transition from communism in 1990, but the transition was difficult because of 40 years of rigid central planning that took the economy to near-collapse. Macroeconomic condi- tions improved after 2000 as a result of fiscal adjustment, enhanced financial performance of state-owned enterprises, and privatization. Romania joined the EU in January 2007. Romania is a traditional agricultural country and plays a unique and impor- tant part in European agriculture. The soil is fertile and the climate is favorable for agriculture, animal husbandry and horti- culture. With a total area of 238,000 sqm, Romania is one of the countries of the most pronounced agrarian profile in the European Union. Having about 15 million ha of farmland, of which more than 9 mil- lion ha devoted to arable crops, Romania owns almost 1/3 of the total agricultural land in the EU. The country offers oppor- tunities for silos, agricultural machinery, and agricultural inputs such as fertilizers and feed supplements. ROMANIA: POTENTIAL WHEAT BASKET OF EUROPE