Romanian farmers give up on growing potatoes as costs surge

Seed costs have doubled in recent years while agricultural labour has become more expensive and harder to find.

Transcript

00:00Romanian potato farmers are struggling with rising costs and labor shortages.

00:08This has caused a years-long decline in the country's potato production.

00:13Farmers say labor is increasingly expensive and hard to find.

00:18In 2024, Romania saw its lowest harvest of potatoes in eight years, despite accounting

00:23for almost a third of Europe's potato farms.

00:27And while production is at a historic low, demand continues to grow, driving increased

00:31imports, which is reflected in prices.

00:34The harvest is over.

00:36It's very weak.

00:37It's expensive.

00:38Before, it was 2 lei, 2.50 lei, and now it's 3, 3.50 lei.

00:43It depends on each one how much they give.

00:46To keep up with demand, Romania imports potatoes mostly from Poland.

00:51But Poland's production has also been in decline in recent years, which could pose further

00:55problems for Romania's shortage in the future.