Minister of Agriculture Florin Barbu said that after the start of the war in Ukraine, the grain market became unbalanced and specified that a kilogram of wheat used to cost 1.8 lei and now 0.9 lei, News.ro reports.

Florin Barba was asked on CNN’s Antena 3 on Sunday how much Romania’s agriculture has lost due to the war in Ukraine.

“At the moment, we know very well that when the war in Ukraine started, Russia started this absurd war in Ukraine, practically the world grain market became unbalanced. Practically, a ton of wheat in the year of this war cost about 1.8 lei per kilogram, i.e. 1,800 lei per ton, and after adjusting for everything that happened on the world grain market, the price of grain is now like this. about 0.9 lei. But I think that those who bring the contracts to the farmers, we are talking about the futures contracts that they bring to the farmers, which should be concluded by the end of February, I think that the prices of grains will increase and of course the farms in Romania with all the forms of support that we have already published in the Official Gazette, here we are talking about a grant of 100 euros for all crops from autumn 2022, 100 euros per hectare, in the livestock sector we are talking about 100 euros per head of livestock and 100 euros for pigs by UVM. (…) Direct payments to farmers in 2024 will amount to 3.3 billion euros. In addition to these direct payments, subsidies to Romanian farmers,” said Florin Barbu.

He was also asked whether the European Commission somehow compensated these countries for the damages caused.

“Last year, the European Union allocated 29.7 million euros. The Romanian government added another €30 million and we managed to make 50% of diesel consumption in 2023 3.63 lei per liter. In 2023, this meant more than 50% of the diesel fuel price. This year, we have already issued a regulatory act, we will bear 25% of the excise tax used in agriculture, that is, somewhere over 2 lei per liter of diesel fuel,” explained the Minister of Agriculture.