March-April. 2026 | @ AGROBiz

The report indicates that while oilseeds, grains, vegetables, and potatoes saw increased cultivated areas, the acreage for dried pulses decreased. Despite this, production grew across all major categories, including cereals, oilseeds, vegetables, dried pulses, and potatoes, highlighting the sector ' s overall resilience.

At the European Union level, Romania topped the rankings for sunflower and maize cultivation, securing first place in sunflower production and third in maize output. Wheat occupied 2.31 million hectares, representing 45.3 per cent of total cereal area, while maize for grain covered 1.97 million hectares, accounting for 38.6 per cent.

Cereal production surged 37.26 per cent to 24.51 million tonnes, largely driven by a 36.66 per cent increase in wheat output to 12.69 million tonnes, which accounted for 51.86 per cent of total cereal production. Dried pulses experienced a near doubling in output, rising 93.76 per cent to 244,000 tonnes, attributed to improved yields per

ROMANIA ' S CROP BOOM: Expanded areas and higher yields pushed vegetable output to 2.53 million tonnes across the country.

hectare. SEEDS DOMINANCE

Oilseed production also recorded strong growth, rising 60.96 per cent to 4.81 million tonnes, supported by increases in rapeseed(+ 2.1 times to 2.5 million tonnes) and sunflower(+ 36.56 per cent to 2.06 million tonnes). In comparison, soybean production fell 15.46 per cent to 253,000 tonnes.

Potato cultivation expanded 2.66 per cent to 78,000 hectares, producing

1.16 million tonnes, and vegetable output rose 20.86 per cent to 2.53 million tonnes, reflecting both larger cultivated areas and higher yields.

Grape production increased 14.46 per cent to 809,000 tonnes due to higher yields, whereas orchard fruit output declined 12.96 per cent to 612,000 tonnes.

Within the EU, Romania ranked fourth in wheat area and production, behind France, Germany, and Poland, while leading in sunflower area and production.

For maize, the country ranked first in cultivated area and third in production, and for potatoes, it ranked sixth in area and ninth in production.

The 2025 data demonstrate Romania ' s growing prominence in European agriculture, particularly for sunflower, cereals, and maize, underlining the importance of yield improvements and strategic crop management in driving national and regional food security.

THE World Bank has given the green light to a $ 500 million International Development Association( IDA) credit to strengthen Nigeria ' s agricultural sector through the new AGROW initiative, designed to boost productivity, enhance value chains, and improve food security nationwide.

The Nigeria Sustainable Agricultural Value Chains for Growth Project, or AGROW, will operate from 2026 to 2032, targeting smallholder farmers and promoting agribusiness development. According to the World Bank, the programme aims to improve farm productivity, expand market linkages, create employment opportunities, and address ongoing food and nutrition challenges.

Despite employing the largest workforce in Nigeria, the agricultural sector faces persistent obstacles, including low yields, limited access to quality inputs, vulnerability to climate shocks, and weak market integration.

To address these issues, AGROW will introduce a results-based

BOOSTING LOCAL VALUE: Farmers and agribusinesses benefit from enhanced aggregation, post-harvest handling, and market access under the AGROW initiative.

matching grant system to support agribusinesses sourcing from smallholder farmers. Priority crops include rice, maize, cassava, and soybeans, while efforts will focus on enhancing aggregation, post-harvest management, agro-processing, and market access.

The project also plans to expand agricultural research and extension services, provide climate-resilient seeds, and introduce digital advisory tools with localised weather and climate data. A national digital registry of farms and farmers will help streamline operations and improve access to resources.

Regulatory systems for seeds and fertilisers will be strengthened, early-generation seed supply will be increased, and private-sector involvement in the production of quality inputs will be encouraged. The programme is expected to reach one million farmers and attract an additional US $ 220 million in private agribusiness investment.

Implementation will involve close coordination among government agencies, private-sector partners, and development organisations across participating states. The AGROW programme signals a major push to transform Nigeria ' s agriculture from subsistence-level farming into a commercially viable, resilient sector capable of driving economic growth, job creation, and sustainable food security.- @ AGROBiz