IFDC Report, Volume 18, No. 2
Abstract
This report provides an overview of the work and progress achieved by the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC) in Eastern Europe, specifically focusing on their efforts in Romania. The IFDC, funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), aims to introduce the free market system to Romania's farming sector. The report highlights the positive impact of the agricultural development program on Romanian agriculture, particularly in the swine and poultry operations that have become private since the 1989 revolution. The report features the case of Dumitriu Emil, a private swine farmer who benefits from the IFDC-conducted project. Emil's farm, established in 1970, has become a significant swine complex with a production capacity of 120,000 fattening hogs per year. Through the IFDC project, Emil purchased a substantial protein-based feed supplement, enabling him to operate his enterprise more efficiently and profitably. The feed supplement reduces the feed needed to produce pork and shortens the feeding cycle, resulting in increased profits for the farmers. The successful introduction of competitive auctions by IFDC has demonstrated the existence of a viable Romanian market among private farmers for protein supplement products at or near world market prices. The auctions have facilitated the sale of 10,220 tons of swine feed supplements, indicating the demand for this product. The funds generated from the auctions will support land surveys required to privatise Romania's agriculture.
Description
Keywords
Feed supplements, Agribusiness , Poultry