BUCHAREST, ROMANIA — Romanian soybean production is expected to rise 36% in the 2021-22 marketing year based on favorable market prices, according to a Global Agricultural Information Network (GAIN) report from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Despite favorable prospects, soybean production is limited to areas in Romania with access to irrigation. The USDA forecasts soybean production in the 2021-22 marketing year to be 380,000 tonnes, 3.6% above the five-year average and 36% compared to the previous year. Romanian soybean export forecast is anticipated to jump 28% to 205,000 tonnes.

The soybean sector was challenged in the 2020-21 marketing year by drought, where production slipped 30% to 280,000 tonnes. Limited exportable supplies hampered Romania’s soybean exports in the 2020-21 marketing year. During the first four months soybean exports were down 39% and the USDA estimates the country to export about 160,000 tonnes of soybeans during the whole marketing year.