The structure of the rural economy in Romania. Case study on macro-region 2

Abstract

Romanian rural area includes most of the territory of Romania, according to statistics, accounting for 87.1% of the total. Romanian rural economy is still largely agrarian, because in Romania the agricultural economy itself has a weight of 60.5% in its structure, compared to only 14.1% in the EU Deep structural causes distorted Romanian rural economy and rural population has a similar structure by sector (primary sector 64.2%, of which 56.6% agriculture, 18.5% secondary sector, tertiary sector 17.3%). Romanian-scale rural non-farm economy, has a low weight and rural tourism in all its variants, except for some mountain areas (Bran - Moeciu, Apuseni, Maramures, Bucovina) and the Danube Delta is almost nonexistent (11,000 beds in about 1,600 rural locations). The main objectives of the research were: overall characterization of the Romanian rural economy, showing the evolution of the structure of the rural economy in Macro-region 2 of Romania and identify differences between the structures of the rural economy nationally and regionally. In this context, we took into account agricultural activities (in the vegetal and animal sector) and non-agricultural activities suitable for each area (region). This article was prepared by using various sources of information, both quantitative and qualitative, such as: official statistics on national and territorial profile; analysis, reports and local studies; the information included in the rural development plans and national strategies; regional and local qualitative information obtained through direct communication with local stakeholders. Romanian agrarian structures are strongly polarized, about 40% of the agricultural area (UAA) of Romania is 2.5 to 2,800,000 small and very small farms (less than 5 ha), 40% of the UAA of the country, that area from 3.8 to 4.0 million ha is owned by 800 large farms (with area of ​​over 1,000 ha each) and 20% of Romania's UAA holdings surface is comparable to the European Union (5 - 50 ha). The structure of the rural economy in the Macro-region 2 of Romania, like the national level, reveals the dominance of agriculture as the main activity, but also a significant degree of development of agriculture related activities. The importance and need for diversified rural economy and rural areas based on multifunctionality based start being more obvious in Romania of 2013, maintaining the social and ecological agriculture, especially for reasons of self-healing micro-regional level, but developing income-generating agricultural activities, efficient and competitive. Keeping the family farm is the subject of European rural policy term. This also applies to less direct interventions aimed at grouping small farms economically viable units, but rather to stimulate the diversification of activities in these areas. In a broader context, it tends to recognize equally diversification requirements, the economic base in rural areas, and to drive public service by providing the rural population.