November 28, 2011

Romania's 2011 corn crop reaches 11.5 million tonnes

Romania harvested a bountiful corn crop of 11.5 million tonnes this year as compared last season of nine million tonnes, the agriculture ministry said on Friday (Nov 25).

Romania, where around 25% of arable land is used to cultivate corn crops, produced the second largest harvest in the EU after France last year.

The Black Sea state, which joined the EU in 2007, is the EU-27's worst performer given traditionally low yields due to lack of large-scale irrigation systems and investment.

"This figure is final, harvesting is now completed," a ministry official handling crop data said, adding that yields rose to about 4.4 tonnes per hectare.

Romania put about 2.6 million hectares under corn.