ROMANIA’S IRRIGATION SYSTEMS AND CROPPING TENDENCIES

Abstract

Irrigation facilities play an important role in the development of agriculture inRomania. Over the years, there have been consistent investments in irrigation systems, which occupied 22% of the agricultural area in late 2011. However, the share of irrigated area was located below 10% in most years, after 1989. The main objective of this paper was to analyze the structure and evolution of areas farmed by the main crop groups in five irrigation systems. The main conclusion that emerged was that the crop structure indicates the existence and development of intensive and professional agriculture attributes. This shows an increase in the areas under high value crops, a trend that could be a chance for poor rural communities to reduce their dependence for grain crops, and facilitate the transition from subsistence to market-oriented agriculture.