The Impact of Drought Risk on Maize Crop in Romania

Flavia Mirela Barna and Alina Claudia Manescu ()
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Flavia Mirela Barna: Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, West University of Timisoara, 300223 Timișoara, Timiș County, Romania
Alina Claudia Manescu: Doctoral School of Economics and Business Administration, West University of Timisoara, 300223 Timișoara, Timiș County, Romania

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 19, 1-21

Abstract: This study examines the effects of climate change on maize production in Romania between 2003 and 2024, focusing on yield dynamics, regional disparities, and economic losses. Maize, a key crop in Romanian agriculture, has become increasingly vulnerable to extreme weather events, particularly droughts, which remain the most frequent risk. The analysis highlights a marked decline in maize yields and cultivated area in recent years, strongly correlated with severe droughts in 2020, 2022, and 2024. The results show that western and northern counties display greater resilience, while southeastern regions face significant yield losses. The economic impact is substantial, with losses exceeding EUR 1 billion. These findings underscore the systemic nature of climate-related risks and call for region-specific adaptation strategies, expanded irrigation infrastructure, and index-based insurance schemes to strengthen resilience and ensure sustainable maize production under changing climatic conditions.

Keywords: climate change; agriculture; historical maize yield; maize surface evolution; maize losses; agriculture economics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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