The executive director of the HolsteinRo Cow Breeders’ Association, Ionuts Lupu, says that losses per liter of milk produced by a cow are between 0.3 and 0.85 lei, and that we cannot talk about profits for more than three months.

He clarified that if it is not possible to establish sowing of spring crops, then the situation for cow farmers is almost exhausted.

Ionuc Lupu said on Friday in Prima News that in Hungary and Poland, cow farmers are billed for diesel for transporting milk.

“In Romania, even at the moment when we have a knife to the bone, nothing happens. And we are talking here about the important subsidies allocated by the Payment Agencies from Hungary and Poland to the diesel bill related to the transportation of both milk and dairy products, as well as vegetables and fruits,” explained Jonuc Lupu.

He stated that losses of cow farmers amount to 0.3 to 0.85 lei per liter of milk.

“Operating costs in Romania on a medium and large farm are approximately 1,440 lei per month per animal. Feed is excluded from these costs. Because feed depending on the age category, depending on the production, is higher or lower. 1,440 lei are needed only for expenses – payment of salary, availability of diesel fuel, covering of financial expenses. Average production costs of 30 liters plus feed costs are 2.5 – 2.7 per liter when producing 30 – 35 liters. We are talking about medium-sized farms, the convertible subsidy per liter of milk will be approximately 0.24-0.26 lei per liter of milk produced. We lose from 0.3 to 0.85 lei per liter of milk produced. Depending on the production, depending on the farm model. We cannot talk about profits for more than three months,” said Ionuts Lupu.

He stated that if it is not possible to establish sowing of spring crops, then the situation for cow farmers becomes very difficult.

“If in November and December farmers were in the comfort zone, because even in the case of medium and large farms we are talking about depreciation and very large financial expenses, then at the end of last year they were in the comfort zone. After only a few weeks, the market has fallen so suddenly that at the moment we are talking about the near impossibility of continuing our operations and starting spring crops. If we do not have time to finish sowing corn in a month or two due to the impossibility of purchasing a diesel engine, due to the impossibility of purchasing seeds and fertilizers, then the matter is over for us. Right now we’re coasting, feeding from stock, producing enough feed in 2022 – who could, who couldn’t, had to buy to feed the animals – and we’re at the point where, if we can’t get spring crops in, maybe since May, June, July, the situation for us is almost exhausted,” Ionuts Lupu also stated.