At a time when Romanian agriculture is increasingly facing drought and unpredictable climate change, irrigation systems are returning to the forefront as a vital solution for the country’s food security. Romania has almost nine million hectares of arable land, but of these, only about one million are actually irrigated1. Although the state has set a goal of expanding the infrastructure to over 2.2 million hectares by 2025 and even 2.7 million by 20272 , the gap remains huge, and private investments are becoming essential to ensure stability and productivity in the agricultural sector.
A concrete example comes from Balta Ialomiței, where INTERCEREAL S.A., one of the largest agricultural companies with Romanian capital, has started a new investment program aimed at expanding irrigation with state-of-the-art equipment provided by American and Italian partners – Lindsay Corporation and Euromacchine. The project, valued at almost 10 million euros, recently received the positive opinion of the Foreign Direct Investment Screening Committee (CEISD) and is already under implementation, with completion expected next year.
It is worth noting the promptness with which CEISD responded to the requests for opinion, within a reasonable time frame, which made it possible to start work without delay. This rapid reaction is a clear signal that the institution understands the urgency and importance of agricultural investments. Thanks to this decision, Intercereal has the chance to save the next agricultural year and demonstrate that when authorities and the private sector collaborate, results can be visible in the field.
This new step comes in continuation of a solid experience. In the summer of 2021, Intercereal started an ambitious irrigation project covering almost 3,000 hectares. The plan was divided into two phases: Farm 5, with approximately 2,200 hectares, and Farm 1, with approximately 800 hectares. The first studies and contracts were carried out in 2021, the actual execution began in 2022, and in March 2024 the entire investment was already completed. The value of the project exceeded 10 million euros, a substantial amount that brought visible results from the first season.
Important technical partners contributed to the realization of the system: Valinst Agriculture, supplier of irrigation pivots and pumping stations, Valrom Industrie, which delivered the water pipes, TIAB, responsible for the electrical network and transformation points, and Plast Edilitare, which provided the civil works. Together, these companies set up a complex but indispensable mechanism to transform fields vulnerable to drought into productive and safe lands.
The results were immediately visible. In years without irrigation, losses in corn and soybean crops were considerable, and yields fluctuated dramatically depending on the rainfall. Since 2023, however, irrigated lands have begun to bring stability, and 2024 – one of the driest years in recent times – has demonstrated the real difference: fields connected to the irrigation system have offered significantly higher yields than non-irrigated ones, proving once again that water is the most important agricultural “input”.
“For us, investments in irrigation are not just a matter of technology, but a guarantee that the work of our farmers bears fruit even in the most difficult years. The results obtained demonstrate that when water reaches the fields on time, Romania can capitalize on its full agricultural potential”, declared Gabriela Bodron, general director of Intercereal S.A.
The Intercereal story is not just about numbers and hectares, but about vision and responsibility. In a country where irrigation remains a promise still far from being achieved on a national scale, this company shows how Romanian capital can be the engine of modernization. Through courageous investments and solid partnerships, Intercereal offers a model to follow and proves that Romanian agriculture has not only a past, but also a future.