The Headline: What Romania Grows More of Than Anyone Else
Romania's farm sector has a clear answer to the question of what the country grows more of than anyone else in the EU: plums. In 2024 Romania harvested 602.6 thousand tonnes of plums — 42.8% of the EU-27 crop of 1 406.7 thousand tonnes (1.41 million tonnes). France, the runner-up, produced 170.5 thousand tonnes.
Plums are not the only crop where Romania sits near the top of the EU table. The same 2024 data show Romania as the EU's third-largest producer of sunflower seed, with 1 508 thousand tonnes — 18.0% of the EU total of 8 362.1 thousand tonnes — behind Hungary (1 799 thousand tonnes) and Bulgaria (1 644.7 thousand tonnes). Together with France, those four countries grew 76.9% of all sunflower seed harvested in the EU in 2024, a market dominated by a handful of producers.
All values in 1 000 t. b = break in series, d = definition change, e = estimated, p = provisional.
| Crop | 2024 production (1 000 t) | Share of EU | Nearest rival |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plums | 602.6 | 42.8% | France (170.5) |
| Sunflower seed | 1508 | 18.0% | Hungary (1799) |
The Full Plate: Romania's Top 10 Crops by Volume
Beyond its crown crop, Romania is a large-volume producer across the arable board. Common wheat and spelt is the biggest single harvest: 9 259.2 thousand tonnes in 2024 (9.26 million tonnes), equal to 8.3% of EU production and rank 4 behind France (25 376.8), Germany (18 241.2) and Poland (12 183.6). Grain maize follows at 5 971.9 thousand tonnes (5.97 million tonnes) — 10.1% of the EU total and rank 3, behind France (14 670.6) and Poland (9 223.2).
The next tier mixes oilseeds, roots and permanent crops. Barley contributed 2 203.3 thousand tonnes (rank 6 in the EU), sunflower seed 1 508 thousand tonnes (rank 3), rape and turnip rape seeds 1 180.8 thousand tonnes (rank 4), potatoes 1 053.3 thousand tonnes (rank 9), green maize 981 thousand tonnes, sugar beet 875.1 thousand tonnes and grapes for wines 668.5 thousand tonnes. Two smaller harvests stand out for their ranking rather than their size: soya, where 316.8 thousand tonnes places Romania third in the EU (10.3% of the EU total), and plums, the EU leader at 42.8% of production, with apples at 487.1 thousand tonnes (rank 6) rounding out the picture.
Share of EU refers to total EU-27 (EU27_2020) production. All values in 1 000 t. b = break in series, d = definition change, e = estimated, p = provisional.
| Crop | 2024 production (1 000 t) | EU rank | Share of EU |
|---|---|---|---|
| Common wheat and spelt | 9259.2 | 4 | 8.3% |
| Grain maize and corn-cob-mix | 5971.9 | 3 | 10.1% |
| Barley | 2203.3 | 6 | 4.5% |
| Sunflower seed | 1508 | 3 | 18.0% |
| Rape and turnip rape seeds | 1180.8 | 4 | 7.1% |
| Potatoes (including seed potatoes) | 1053.3 | 9 | 2.1% |
| Green maize | 981 | 18 | 0.4% |
| Sugar beet (excluding seed) | 875.1 | 14 | 0.7% |
| Grapes for wines | 668.5 | 6 | 3.3% |
| Plums | 602.6 | 1 | 42.8% |
| Apples | 487.1 | 6 | 4.2% |
| Soya | 316.8 | 3 | 10.3% |
Yield Gap and Stability: Drought Years Made Visible
The yield data for 2024 show Romania's output per hectare trailing every comparator in this dataset. Common wheat yielded 4.09 t/ha in Romania, the lowest of the seven producers compared — against 5.10 t/ha in Poland, 5.74 t/ha in Hungary, 5.96 t/ha in Bulgaria, 6.02 t/ha in France, 7.11 t/ha in Germany and 8.14 t/ha in Ireland, roughly double the Romanian level. Grain maize tells a similar story: 2.83 t/ha in Romania versus 3.25 t/ha in Bulgaria, 6.00 t/ha in Hungary, 7.22 t/ha in Poland, 9.20 t/ha in France and 10.05 t/ha in Germany.
Reliability is a separate question, and the 2015–2024 series shows that volume and stability rarely travel together. Grain maize — Romania's largest arable crop after wheat — is classed as volatile, with a coefficient of variation (CV) of 34.31% and a maximum drawdown of -45.77%; output fell from 9 021.4 thousand tonnes in 2015 to 5 971.9 thousand tonnes in 2024 (-33.8% net). Sunflower seed (CV 26.01%, drawdown -40.52%) and potatoes follow the same pattern, with potato output contracting from 2 699.7 thousand tonnes to 1 053.3 thousand tonnes (-61.0% net, CV 37.69%). At the more stable end, common wheat (CV 13.28%) still recorded a -37.92% drawdown — visible in the sharp 2020 trough — while walnuts paired a moderate CV (18.55%) with the shallowest drawdown of the group (-9.28%) and the decade's strongest growth, +68.3% net.
Mean and drawdown are calculated over 2015–2024. CV < 10% = Very stable; CV 10–20% = Moderately stable; CV > 20% = Volatile.
| Crop | Mean (1 000 t) | CV% | Max drawdown% | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Green maize | 1225.25 | 13.27% | -26.29% | Moderately stable |
| Common wheat and spelt | 9108.74 | 13.28% | -37.92% | Moderately stable |
| Barley | 1813.05 | 14.89% | -39.31% | Moderately stable |
| Walnuts | 47.74 | 18.55% | -9.28% | Moderately stable |
| Sunflower seed | 2395.93 | 26.01% | -40.52% | Volatile |
| Rape and turnip rape seeds | 1265 | 26.87% | -50.45% | Volatile |
| Sugar beet (excluding seed) | 818.51 | 32.87% | -64.09% | Volatile |
| Grain maize and corn-cob-mix | 11786.04 | 34.31% | -45.77% | Volatile |
| Potatoes (including seed potatoes) | 2073.75 | 37.69% | -39.04% | Volatile |
Versus the Neighbours: The Danube Plain Against Europe
Comparing Romania with the producers around it sharpens the picture. In sunflower seed, Hungary — the EU leader at 1 799 thousand tonnes in 2024 — grew at a 1.62% compound annual rate over the decade, while Romania's harvest contracted at -1.86% a year from 1 785.8 thousand tonnes in 2015 to 1 508 thousand tonnes in 2024. Bulgaria, the EU's second producer (1 644.7 thousand tonnes), declined only slightly (-0.43% CAGR).
In the cereals that anchor the Danube Plain, France remains the reference point. French grain maize reached 14 670.6 thousand tonnes in 2024 (CAGR +0.88% since 2015), nearly two and a half times Romania's 5 971.9 thousand tonnes, which fell at -4.48% a year. In wheat the paths diverge: Romanian output rose from 7 954.5 thousand tonnes in 2015 to 9 259.2 thousand tonnes in 2024 (CAGR +1.70%), while France's wheat harvest shrank from 40 468.5 to 25 376.8 thousand tonnes (-5.05% CAGR). Ireland, a small producer by volume (388.5 thousand tonnes in 2024), still sets the yield benchmark at 8.14 t/ha. In walnuts, Romania holds the upper hand: 52.7 thousand tonnes against France's 27.7 thousand tonnes, growing at +5.95% a year while France declined at -4.59%.
All values in 1 000 t; the 2015 value is in brackets. The 10-year trend is the compound annual growth rate over 2015–2024. b = break in series, d = definition change, e = estimated, p = provisional.
| Crop | Romania 2024 (2015) | Neighbour 2024 (2015) | 10-year trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunflower seed | 1508 (1785.8) | Hungary, EU leader: 1799 (1557) | RO -1.86%; HU +1.62% |
| Grain maize and corn-cob-mix | 5971.9 (9021.4) | France, EU leader: 14670.6 (13556.6) | RO -4.48%; FR +0.88% |
| Common wheat and spelt | 9259.2 (7954.5) | France, EU leader: 25376.8 (40468.5) | RO +1.70%; FR -5.05% |
| Walnuts | 52.7 (31.3) | France: 27.7 (42.3) | RO +5.95%; FR -4.59% |
What It Means for a Small Farm
Land use decisions trace the same shifts. Of the crops with area data in this dataset, rape and turnip rape seeds gained the most ground: the harvested area rose 42.0% between 2015 and 2024, from 367.9 thousand hectares to 522.3 thousand hectares. Sunflower seed area expanded 22.9% to 1 243.3 thousand hectares, even though production finished the decade 15.6% lower. Barley area grew 13.0% and common wheat area 7.6%, reaching 531.1 thousand hectares and 2 263.5 thousand hectares respectively. At the other end, potato area contracted 61.3% (from 196.1 thousand hectares to 75.9 thousand hectares), mirroring the -61.0% production decline, while grain maize area fell 19.1% to 2 111.0 thousand hectares and sugar beet area eased 13.8% to 22.9 thousand hectares.
In EU terms, Romania's footprint is heaviest in oilseeds and maize: 25.9% of the EU-27 sunflower seed area and 24.3% of the grain maize area sit in Romania, against 11.1% of the common wheat area, 9.2% of the rape area, 5.5% of the potato area, 5.2% of the barley area, 1.4% of the sugar beet area and 0.9% of the green maize area. For a small farm, the area data point to where the expansion has clustered — rape and sunflower — and where it has not: potatoes have vacated the most ground over the decade, falling to 75.9 thousand hectares from 196.1 thousand hectares.
All values in 1 000 ha. Change since 2015 is the net change. Share of EU area refers to the EU-27 (EU27_2020) harvested area. b = break in series, d = definition change, e = estimated, p = provisional.
| Crop | 2024 area (1 000 ha) | Change since 2015 | Share of EU area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Common wheat and spelt | 2263.5 | +7.6% | 11.1% |
| Grain maize and corn-cob-mix | 2111 | -19.1% | 24.3% |
| Barley | 531.1 | +13.0% | 5.2% |
| Sunflower seed | 1243.3 | +22.9% | 25.9% |
| Rape and turnip rape seeds | 522.3 | +42.0% | 9.2% |
| Potatoes (including seed potatoes) | 75.9 | -61.3% | 5.5% |
| Green maize | 53.1 | +14.7% | 0.9% |
| Sugar beet (excluding seed) | 22.9 | -13.8% | 1.4% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Romania the EU's biggest sunflower producer?
No. Romania is the EU's third-largest sunflower seed producer. Hungary led in 2024 with 1 799 thousand tonnes, ahead of Bulgaria (1 644.7) and Romania (1 508). Together, the four biggest producers — Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania and France — grew 76.9% of all EU sunflower seed in 2024.
How does Romanian wheat yield compare to the EU average?
The EU-27 average is not published in this dataset. Among the seven EU producers compared, Romania had the lowest wheat yield in 2024 at 4.09 t/ha — well below Poland (5.10), Hungary (5.74), Bulgaria (5.96), France (6.02), Germany (7.11) and Ireland (8.14 t/ha). In grain maize, Romania's 2.83 t/ha was also the lowest of the six producers compared (Bulgaria 3.25, Hungary 6.00, Poland 7.22, France 9.20, Germany 10.05 t/ha).
Which Romanian crop grew the most over the last decade?
Walnuts. Production rose from 31.3 thousand tonnes in 2015 to 52.7 thousand tonnes in 2024 — a net gain of 68.3% (5.95% CAGR), the strongest growth of the nine crops tracked for stability. Barley was second, up 35.5% (3.43% CAGR) from 1 626.3 to 2 203.3 thousand tonnes.
Source data extracted from Eurostat dataset apro_cpsh1.
This article was generated using AI. The content is based on Eurostat data and is provided as a starting point — please verify all data with the original source.
