August 30, 2024

 

Romania's cattle farmers struggle to keep herds as country faces intense heat

 

Temperatures in Romania hit over 40C in August, with the country experiencing several heat waves this summer.

 

As such, farmers in the country are struggling to keep their cattle following an ongoing drought which makes it hard for them to provide animals with feed.

 

In the southern county of Olt, farmer Traian Gîrtan has sold some of his 30-strong livestock. Gîrtan told Euronews that feeding his cattle costs €1,000 (US$1,117) a month, up from previous years.

 

"The feed is almost double what it was last year… The price of livestock is 30 to 40 percent lower than a year ago," said Gîrtan.

 

In order to keep his farm alive over winter, Gîrtan predicted he will sell half of his cattle.

 

Representatives of livestock breeders said this situation is being experienced across Romania.

 

"Those who now consume winter fodder will have to liquidate herds in October, November," said Dumitru Grigorean, chairman of the Romanian Meat Cattle Breeders Association. "The effects will indeed be long-term, because we are already witnessing a drastic, dramatic, and worrying drop in numbers."

 

Grigorean estimated that currently there are just over a million cattle in Romania, down from around seven million. Once a farm has closed down, it is difficult for it to get back into business.

 

Farmers are concerned that the impact will eventually be felt by consumers, as farms will be forced to raise their prices to compensate for lack of livestock.

 

Southern and Eastern Europe have been faced with "persistent and recurrent drought conditions" according to a situation report compiled by the European Union.

 

In Romania, the government has compensated farmers for over two million hectares of farmland they estimate have been damaged as a result of recurring droughts, according to domestic media.

- Euro News