An Analysis of the Socio-Economic Characteristics of the Semi-Subsistence Farms that Applied for Non-Refundable EU Funds in the North-Western Romania
Abstract
Romania joined the European Union (EU) with a farming structure dominated in terms of numbers by small subsistence and semi-subsistence farms (2007). Through the second Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) pillar they were supported by a special programme to become more economic resilient. In order to see the potential outcome of that program, 202 farms from North-West Romanian development region were investigated by face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire. Results show that more than 60 per cent have farm managers bellow 50 years old with good technical educational background. Their future-self assessment looks optimistic because more than 64% want to invest using EU funds in the future (in the period 2014 and 2020). Farmers who want to quit farming perceive market access and their age as being the main limitative factors.
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