A deficit of 2.5 billion euro in the food industry in Romania
The food industry in Romania reports an annual deficit of 2.5 billion euro and imports are 2.6 times higher than the exports. The sector, evaluated at 50 bln. RON (10 bln. euro), has a strong growth potential, it could even double to 100 billion RON (20 billion euro), but serious investments are needed for that.
For the last 15 years, 30 large factories for processing of milk, meat, oil or sugar have been closed in Romania, according to a study by Ziarul Financiar. The milk-processing industry was among the most impacted.
Experts say, that the pandemic and the economic crisis present a chance for each country to develop it own production of dairy and dough products, oil, sausages or sugar, in order to depend as little as possible of food imports.
Only for the month of June 2020, the big retailers have opened 26 stores in Romania. Those retailers are: PROFI, Lidl, Carrefour, Kaufland and Penny. Lidl stores in Romania are already 274, PENNY has 260 stores altogether, and the nationwide network Carrefour possesses 361 stores. In June 2020 Profi Romania opened 20 new supermarkets, and Kaufland, with the opening of its 15th hypermarket in Bucharest, reports a grand total of 132 stores on a national level.
