Published in Scientific Papers. Series "Management, Economic Engineering in Agriculture and rural development", Vol. 24 ISSUE 2
Written by Agatha POPESCU, Cristina TINDECHE, Alina MARCUTA, Liviu MARCUTA, Adelaida HONTUS, Mirela STANCIU

The goal of the paper is to analyze the land use as cultivated area and grasslands for producing animal feed in Romania in the interval 20 3-2022 utilizing the data from National Institute of Statistics (NIS) and Eurostat. The dynamics was highlighted as graphical trend lines, regression equations and R square, fixed basis and structural indices reflecting the changes across the time. The results showed that the surface with green forages in arable land was 847,978 ha in 2022 representing 0.59% of the total cultivated area and also reflected a reduction by .26% versus 20 3. The perennial forages covered 675,207 ha in 2022 (+3.7% vs. 20 3). Alfalfa accounted for a larger surface with a share of 62.52% in 2022(vs. 52.39% in 20 3), while the clover area decreased its weight from 8.5% to 4.2%. In 2022, annual green forages covered 79,952 ha, by 3.35% less than in 2023. Fodder maize was cultivated on only 48,634 ha in 2022 (- 3.36% vs. 20 3) and root crops on only 3,033 ha, a surface smaller by 79.32% in 2022. The declined is justify by the negative influence of climate change which reduced forage production and also by the decreasing trend in livestock. Romania has also 5, 72,800 ha grasslands, coming on the 3rd position in the EU after France and Germany. This area plays an important role in animal nutrition at a lower cost, in soil conservation, mitigating the effects of climate change, preserving biodiversity and the beauty of the landscapes.

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