In order to reach the European average in terms of concentrationof tractors, the Romanian market should "absorb" 30,000 units peryear for more than a decade. However, domestic production amountsto 1,000 units at the most, which is comparable with the dailyproduction of the Dacia car plant in Mioveni.
Whilst in Romania the ratio is one tractor per 54 hectares offarming land, in Germany, for instance, the ratio is one per 9hectares, 1 to 7 in the Netherlands, and only 1 to 4 in Austria.The EU average is one tractor for 17 hectares, which over threetimes less than in Romania.
"Hungary also ranks ahead of us in this respect, while Albania isbehind, as far as I know. In order to approach the European level,it would take us a few good years with a domestic production of20,000 tractors, as well as heavy imports," said Adrian Damian,president of the Infratirea Federation of local vehiclemanufacturers.
According to the "National Strategy for sustainable development ofagriculture and the food industry", and to importers andRomanian-based manufacturers of farming equipment, Romania needsaround 300,000 tractors, which are worth around 10 billioneuros.
In Romania, after Tractorul Brasov plant closed, there are fourtractor manufacturers left. MAT Craiova produces a few hundredunits per year, and Egyptian-held Crystal, which bought TractorulBrasov licences, started production with 600 orders for theEgyptian market. "Overall, those that still produce have 1,000employees and assemble 1,000 tractors a year," Damian added.
Geda Prodexim manufactures and converts tractors manufactured inBrasov into improved versions, as well as its own models, whilstChinese company Hoyo has started the construction of a plant inRasnov, which will have a maximum capacity of 20,000 units peryear.
"If we had invested in the Tractorul plant in Brasov, we would havehad 300-400-horsepower high performance tractors, we would havegotten engines from abroad and produced at lower costs. Withouthigh performance tractors, one cannot achieve the targeted yieldand productivity. Agricultural works would be much cheaper," saysCulita Tarata, who manages 60,000 hectares of farming land inInsula Mare a Brailei (The Great Braila Island), via TCE 3 Brazicompany.
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