Harvests destroyed by drought. Corn and sunflower, almost lost in two counties. Solutions: “Vegetables, blueberries”

Farmers in the south of the country begin to notify the town halls of drought -generated damages, but they also seek solutions for the years to come. Agricultural directions send their people to the field, although there are no indications that the state could provide compensation for losses due to drought.

Arșița destroyed crops on tens of thousands of hectares in the south of the country: Collage Daj Dolj

In the counties of which, in the summer of 2024, the request was to declare the tens of thousands of hectares of the sun, calamity areas come again bad news. The corn crops and the sunflower are almost compromised on tens of thousands of hectares in each of Olt and Dolj counties, and the farmers think if the good wheat and rapesees (those who had this luck) will allow them to cover their losses for what they should have harvested this fall. At the county agricultural directions, the notifications began to arrive, and the engineers are in the field to find out if the farmers' words are confirmed.

“We work in the dark, we know nothing for sure”

„P.The orum is 100% calamity and the flower is around 70%, something else is chosen. But the ministry did not communicate anything to us with drought. The problem is that the town halls begin to collect documents from farmers, to make operative reports and to send them to us and we make commissions. We get into some things without knowing what the purpose is. Last year the purpose was known, an emergency ordinance was given, it was known how and in what way, how much is given to the hectare, we are working in the dark, we know nothing for sure, nor do the people know ”, said the director of the Olt County Agricultural Directorate, Ion Drăgoi.

On Monday, August 4, 2025, it was the first day when representatives DAJ Olt went to the territory, to see the spring crops that farmers say will only bring them losses. The operation is done under the conditions in which the trips have become a problem, because the institution remains without fuel money. During this time, other farmers call Daj, who ask what to do, whether to initiate any official steps, because no one is clear whether or not compensation will be granted.

The documents circuit implies that the farmer addresses the town hall in the area where the land operates, to draw up an operative report with the areas notified by the farmers, and the report reaches the Agricultural Directorate. “From here we form a commission, with people from us, from APIA, AFIR or ANIF, we go there, we see the situation, we make the verbal process and we introduce it in the operative register. added the director Ion Drăgoi.

In Olt County there are over 100,000 hectares grown with corn and sunflower, an area slightly smaller than last year. In 2024, for each hectare of drought compromised the state granted a support of 1,000 lei (1,000 lei was the maximum amount in case the culture was 100%calamity, the amounts decreasing in proportion to the degree of impairment).

Cultures destroyed a few meters from the irrigation channel full of photo water: Daj Dolj/Collage

In Olt, about 30,000 hectares of arable land cultivated with corn and sunflower (out of a total of 150,000 hectares) are located in irrigable areas, says DAJ Olt director, but farmers have not exploited this advantage.

“We also have sunflower, in the north of the county, which looks great”

In Dolj, in some areas, the situation is even more dramatic. Farmers have declared calamity and surfaces from wheat and rapeseed crops, thousands of hectares in total, and now they make notions for sunflower and corn, and the process is just beginning.

“The south of the county is very affected. The corn is up to 100%, and the sunflower from 50%and up to 80 -90%. At this time we have the teams in the field”, said director Daj Dolj, Romulus Sorin Agapie.

There are also areas where farmers will have good photo harvest: Daj Dolj

In Dolj, the troubles for farmers kept the chain. They had problems since spring, when the orchards were affected by frost, then beat the hail, and the drought put them. For the 54 hectares of fruit plantations affected by the late frosts, it is hoped for help, for which the Romanian state also resorted to the European structures. If there are hopes for the big culture, it remains to be seen. “This year, in corn is worse than last year. If last year there was something, now … In the northern area, things are a little different, we also have sunflower, in the north of the county, which looks very good”Agapie said. From localities such as Sotop, Secu, Seaca de Forest, Brabova has not yet been notified of affected areas, said the director. In Dolj, irrigable surfaces amount to 50,000 hectares, and in certain areas the farmers have exploited this advantage.

Record productivity, price with far below expectations

In Olt, many of the farmers who will have losses at the crops have enjoyed high productivity, on the other hand, wheat. They still make their calculations to see if they will be able to cover the losses from the spring crops, but what does not give them hope is the low price. “The situation is not pink due to the prices. The price is 0.8 lei/kg, and in the extraordinary category, super-pan, move to 0.83-0.84 lei/kg. The rapese is 2.1 lei/kg. Farmers rape they do not have much, it is stored and harder. It was a profitable culture this year. I did this year's wheat performance, I had the highest performance since we worked, I also had an investment, but, most importantly, it rained in May, those who do not know what technology did ”explained the farmer Teiu Păunescu, for “Adevărul”.

Because the profitability of the farm also takes into account the crops that bring losses, affected will be the landowners, who will receive less than the farmers initially made the calculations that they will be able to reward them as a result of the good wheat production. “We will probably stop at 1,000 kg lease, we do not jump at 1,200, as we initially wanted. We still do count”, Păunescu added.

But even more he kneads farmers who will do in the future, because it becomes obvious that something needs to be changed. Puts cannot drill, because they fail to water, in certain areas, not 30 meters deep, and at greater depths things are complicated and financially and bureaucratic, so a variant remains to go to more profitable crops, which to obtain from smaller surfaces, in intensive crops.

“Cultures of vegetables, blueberries, other plants that can be made, in 100 hectares, as they do in 1,000 cereals. Intensive and allow myself to make irrigation by dripping ”Păunescu said.

The farmer also tests new cultures at this time. Ricin, sought for the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry, but also for the car oil industry, is a variant. However, the provocative in the case of this culture is to combat weeds and there would be other aspects to develop. “It is very good for us, the problem at the present time I have with the weeds. There is no, at least we do not know them, adequate herbicides ”the farmer is stated.

The culture will really become profitable after they are outdated and after the production can be processed for obtaining castor oil.