The Confederation of Employers Concordia made an x-ray of the agri-food market in Romania, which registered a trade deficit of 3.3 billion euros last year, and shows that concrete solutions are needed to increase competitiveness, reduce the trade deficit and develop internal value chains, so that the agricultural potential is reached. «Romania has one of the largest agricultural areas in the European Union – approximately 57% of the national territory, but productivity and the degree of integration of production in value chains remain below the European average, and exports continue to be dominated by primary products, with little added value», say Concordia representatives. The agri-food trade deficit reached 3.3 billion euros in 2024, contributing more than 10% to the economy's total trade deficit, a structural problem that requires investment, resource, integration and modernization policies. According to the study, Romania has the potential to become a competitive actor on the European agri-food market if it develops coherent and predictable policies that stimulate investments, reduce fragmentation and encourage cooperation between farmers, processors and retailers. The Concordia Employers' Confederation launches on Thursday, November 13, 2025, the study «Analysis of the added value and contribution of three strategic sectors to the national economy: primary agricultural production, food processing, agri-food distribution and marketing», carried out by Deloitte Romania. Productivity in agriculture remains low, mainly due to the fragmentation of agricultural land and the aging of the rural and agricultural population. In order to improve the situation, they believe that there is a need to attract young people to agriculture by financing or guaranteeing small and family farms by the state; encouraging the association of young farmers, to increase production capacity and competitiveness; the development of warehouse networks for vegetables and fruits, as well as the integration of agricultural businesses and the increase in the number of livestock farms. Then, I also say that the agri-food chain, processing represents the least developed link, although it is the one that brings the highest degree of added value. Many factories are currently operating at only 20% of capacity, which shows an inefficient use of existing resources. For the consolidation of this segment, it would be necessary to implement an investment program that would encourage the development of processing capacities; capitalizing on by-products, in order to reduce costs and increase economic efficiency, as well as stimulating exports through dedicated policies and programs, which promote Romanian products on foreign markets.
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