Romania is a country where honey and milk flow, with the clarification that they flow from imports. Every year, we import 220 million liters of milk from all over Europe into the country. From Denmark and Spain to the nearest Belgium, France or Greece – all European states pour milk into Romanians’ cups. As for honey, it comes from distant China, from where we bring more than 3 million euros annually.

Imports of milk and milk products have increased by a staggering 1,846% over the past 30 years

The annual deficit was more than €104 million/year, of which more than 90% was accumulated in the post-accession period (the annual average was almost €215 million), explains INS Chairman Tudorel Andrei in his recently published book. “Foreign trade of Romania in agro-food products 1990-2020” in the publishing house of the Romanian Academy.

1990 was the year when one of the sharpest reductions in the export of agri-food products in the country’s economic history was recorded. The volume of exports in value units decreased in 1990 compared to the previous one by almost 85%, and in natural units the reduction was even greater, over 94%, explains Andrii Tudorel.

As examples, the head of the INS talks about the reduction of exports: meat and edible organs (-97%), milk and dairy products (-97%), vegetables (-87%), fruit (-67%), meat and fish semi-finished products (-82%), Sugar and sugar products (-98%), Vegetable and fruit semi-finished products (-82%) and Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages (-84%).

Compared with 1989, the import of milk has increased more than 25 times. Over the past 30 years, production has halved

In milk production, five countries of the European Union are among the 20 most important countries in the world: Germany has a total production of 33.1 million tons, which is more than 8 thousand kg/animal and an average production per inhabitant of almost 400 liters. France ranks second in the EU with a production of 25.5 million tons, an average production per animal of 7.2 thousand liters and an average production per capita of more than 390 liters.

Poland is one of the important producers at the European level, achieving a milk production of 14.2 million tons/year, with a milk yield per animal of 6.4 thousand kg and an average production per inhabitant of 370 liters.

Italy reached a production of almost 12 million tons with an average milk yield per animal of 7.1 thousand liters and an average production per inhabitant of almost 200 liters. With a yield per animal equal to that of Italy, the Netherlands achieves an annual production of over 10.6 million tonnes, which is 618 liters per capita.

Ireland is the country in the European Union with the highest average production per capita, almost 1,600 liters, with a total production of more than 7.8 million tons and a productivity per animal of almost 5,300 tons.

Returning to Romania, our country has a milk production of almost 4.2 million tons, and the reliance on an animal is much lower than in the case of other important countries of the European Union, only 3.62 thousand tons of milk, the production per inhabitant is 215 liters.

The above statistics once again confirm the weak development of the livestock industry in Romania compared to the significant potential we have. Under these conditions, productivity is significantly lower than in the livestock sector in countries with notable results in the livestock sector, forcing Romania to import a significant amount of agri-food products, putting great pressure on the trade balance with agricultural products. food products, Andrii Tudorel also believes.

Natural honey: most of it comes from China

China, Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova sweeten us with honey, of course, along with the Poles, Dutch and Bulgarians. You have the data below:

Beekeepers say that the price of honey will decrease because the demand for it is decreasing.

Over the last decade, Romania has risen to the top of the most important bee honey producers in the European Union. Romanian beekeepers are in the lead with colleagues from Spain and Hungary, writes Europa Liberă. However, a significant part of honey is exported in bulk, since there are not enough processing enterprises in the country. In addition, Romanian honey is mixed with Chinese honey, after which it is sometimes returned in beautiful colored jars on store shelves.

In recent years, local honey has become one of the representative products of Romania, which is one of the leaders in honey production in the European Union.

However, Romania is a country of paradoxes in this area as well. Only a small proportion of recordings are sold as a quality product. Otherwise, it is difficult for beekeepers to sell it cheaply, quickly and in bulk to intermediaries who then export it. The reason: there are not many factories in Romania that process bee honey.