Summary

In Romania, farmers over 65 years old represent about half of the total number of farmers in the country. Statistics indicate that only 7% of farm managers were under 40, while 44.3% were over 65 in 2016. Most farmers practice subsistence agriculture and only sell a limited amount of their products. In this context, generational renewal in agricultural holdings has become an urgent issue. 

After graduating from high school, Sorin Codita worked in a packaging company for a couple of years before deciding to become an agricultural entrepreneur running his own vegetable farm. Support from the Romanian Rural Development Programme (RDP) enabled him to set up his own market-oriented farm, train and gain new professional qualifications.

Results

The beneficiary marketed and sold 30 000 kg of agricultural products worth 6,640 EUR during 2017-2019, which is over 20% of the value of the first financial instalment of RDP support. 

Additionally, he sold 10 000 kg of vegetables worth 2 213 EUR during the same period.