Romania’s corn crop forecast at 8.67 million tonnes as sunflower output rebounds
AgriPortal forecasts Romania’s 2026/27 corn crop at 8.67 million tonnes, up about 20% from the previous season. Sunflower seed output is projected to rise about 64% to 3.06 million tonnes as both yields and harvested area increase.
Higher yields lift the production outlook
Romania could harvest 8.67 million tonnes of corn in the 2026/27 season, approximately 20% more than in the previous season, according to an AgriPortal estimate reported by Economica.net. Sunflower seed production is forecast at 3.06 million tonnes, about 64% above the 2025/26 level.
The projected recovery is being driven by substantially better field productivity. AgriPortal estimates the national corn yield at 5.10 tonnes per hectare, an increase of 34% from the previous season. The sunflower yield is also expected to rise by 34%, reaching 2.47 tonnes per hectare.
The figures are based on an independent crop assessment conducted across Romania from 10 to 14 August. The survey covered the country’s principal agricultural regions over a route of 2,390 kilometres and included direct field evaluations of the production potential for both crops.
Corn area contracts despite stronger field conditions
The corn recovery remains constrained by a reduction in planted area. AgriPortal expects the area to be more than 10% below the 1.90 million hectares assessed in 2025/26. Higher yields therefore support the forecast increase in total production, but only partly offset farmers’ retreat from the crop.
AgriPortal General Director Petar Dimitrov said field results pointed to a strong recovery in corn productivity after several difficult seasons. He added that the decline in cultivated area showed farmers remained cautious about corn, while improved yields compensated for that trend only partially.
Regional differences also remain significant. AgriPortal analyst Kris Atanasov said conditions observed in the fields were better than in the previous season and that national measurements indicated a productive season for both corn and sunflower. The estimates nevertheless remain subject to revision as weather conditions develop and actual harvesting results become available.
Sunflower gains from yield and area growth
Unlike corn, sunflower is benefiting from an expansion in the area expected to be harvested. AgriPortal puts that area at 1.24 million hectares, compared with 1.01 million hectares in 2025/26, representing an increase of 23%. Combined with the forecast 34% improvement in yield, the additional land supports the much larger projected rise in sunflower seed production.
The different acreage trends will matter to farmers, processors and traders assessing Romania’s next supply cycle. Corn availability is recovering mainly because of better yields, leaving output more exposed to final field performance on a smaller area. Sunflower has support from both productivity and acreage, providing a broader base for the projected rebound. AgriPortal produced its forecasts from direct field measurements, regional assessments and satellite vegetation indicators available in mid-August 2026. Harvest progress and subsequent weather will determine whether the estimated gains are fully realised.