Small farmers demand increase in aid for solariums. Costs could increase by up to 70%

Producers are demanding that the support be increased from 1.5 euros to 2.5 euros per square meter for crops in protected areas. The program represents state aid intended for small producers, for vegetables grown in solariums and greenhouses. The request was publicly communicated on Tuesday evening by the ”Union Salvăm Țăranul Român”, which warns that many vegetable growers risk giving up production if the support is not adjusted to the new economic realities.

“We ask for your support to obtain an increase of 1 euro/m2 for vegetable growers in protected areas, so that the total value of the support reaches 2.5 euros/m2,” the farmers asked the Minister of Agriculture, Florin Barbu, emphasizing that the increase is “urgently necessary.”

“This year, vegetable growers expect additional production costs and expenses compared to 2025 with minimum percentages ranging between 35% and 45% and maximums of 60%–70%,” say the farmers’ representatives. They are taking into account the price of electricity, which is expected to “increase by at least 70% starting in June,” as well as taxes on agricultural land, buildings and machinery, which have already increased “by percentages ranging between 70% and 300%. At the same time, the materials necessary for production, such as seeds, fertilizers and treatments, have also become more expensive, say the farmers.

Other additional costs are expected to appear in the coming period. These include the introduction of a carbon tax on chemical fertilizers, which could add 200–500 euros per ton to the cost, the increase in RCA tariffs for agricultural machinery and equipment, as well as the payment of a mandatory annual contribution of at least 2,600 lei for health insurance. Producers also talk about the impact of the EU–Mercosur agreement and the future Common Agricultural Policy, which could affect the competitiveness of small farms.

Vegetable growers also complain about the acute shortage of labor. Even at higher amounts, they are finding it increasingly difficult to find people willing to work in agriculture. The pay of day laborers increased from 100–120 lei per day in 2024 to 170–250 lei per day in 2025–2026. Added to these problems is the increase in the price of solid fuel, used in farm activities, by up to 45%.

“To avoid the bankruptcy of farms and the depopulation of Romanian villages, we need our requests to be supported at the government level,” say representatives of the Salvăm Țăranul Român Union. The organization warns that, without this support, there is a risk of farms being abandoned and young people leaving the rural area.

Currently, the Tomato program grants de minimis aid of 1,500 euros for every 1,000 square meters of solarium or greenhouse. If the support were increased, farmers could receive 2,500 euros for the same area.