World Bank's Capannelli: Progress in agriculture could contribute to Romania's economic growth

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MADR) and the World Bank organize a conference in Bucharest on Wednesday, to present their medium and long-term perspective on Romania's rural sector, as the country is among Europe's best gifted with arable land, water and human resources.

World Bank's Capannelli

The participants will discuss the present challenges faced by Romania's agriculture and rural development to maximize the use of this potential in the context of the current European and global trends.

Romania aspires to developing and implementing modern policies and rural administration to serve each person, every day, in every region of the country. Progress in agriculture could generally contribute to Romania's economic growth, to a more sustainable trade balance, for the benefit of all Romanians, World Bank Country Manager Elisabetta Capannelli was quoted on Tuesday in a release of the MADR.

Agriculture Minister Daniel Constantin and experts with the ministry will present the medium and long-term investment and reform priorities. Two former European Commissioners for Agriculture, Dacian Ciolos and Franz Fischler, are among the speakers at the conference.

"Joining the European Union brought many benefits to Romania's agriculture and rural areas. Major progress has been noted lately as regards the agricultural production and the historical transformation of the trade balance into a positive one. Sectoral progress has been significantly supported by greater financing opportunities. Increasingly larger private investments in the agri-food sector have leveraged the effects of public financing, both national and European. The agricultural administration has managed over 14 billion euros between 2007 and 2013, and will...