STUDIES ON INVESTMENTS IN EXPANDING STORAGE CAPACITIES FOR CEREALS AND INDUSTRIAL CROPS THROUGH NON-REIMBURSABLE FUNDS IN THE OLTENIA REGION

Abstract

The NRDP is structured into a series of measures designed to support, modernize, and promote the sustainable development of Romania’s rural areas.Sub-measure 4.2 – “Support for investments in the processing/marketing and/or development of agricultural products” is part of Measure 4 – Investments in physical assets. This sub-measure has multiple objectives: strengthening the competitiveness of primary producers by improving their integration into the agri-food chain, supporting participation in quality schemes, increasing the added value of agricultural products, and promoting their presence on local markets. With regard to DR 22, this intervention is entitled “Investments in conditioning, storage, and processing of agricultural and horticultural products.” It is part of the Strategic Plan for the period 2023–2027 (CAP SP 2023–2027) under the umbrella of the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD). Its primary aim is to modernize and expand infrastructure, ensuring that storage and processing capacities meet both current and future market demands.This study undertakes an analytical approach focused on the number of projects financed and the increase in storage capacity achieved through the absorption of European funds. The analysis concentrates on the modernization of grain and industrial crop storage facilities in the South-West Oltenia Region, during the period 2015–2024, and assesses their impact on the local economy.Ultimately, the paper intends to monitor and highlight the dynamics of modernization projects targeting storage capacities for cereals and industrial crops through Sub-measure 4.2 and DR 22 at the level of the South-West Oltenia Region.