The reporting period covers the harvest of wheat (which started in July), the sowing of the 2024-2025 winter wheat (which started in September) and also the harvest of maize and other summer crops in September. Overall, crop conditions were not favorable. Rainfall was below the 15YA by 26%, TEMP was above average by 1.9℃, whereas RADPAR was a bit higher than average  (ΔRADPAR +2%) and BIOMSS was below average (ΔBIOMSS -6%). The nationwide NDVI profile shows that crop conditions were considerably lower than average during the whole reporting period. The temperature was above-average during most of the reporting period, and rainfall was also below average nearly throughout the whole reporting period. It seems that Romania experienced a severe drought, similar to last year. Mainly the south suffered from unfavorable crop conditions. The CALF of Romania during the reporting period was 90%, 7% lower than average, and the maximum VCI was 0.69, which was relatively low. The cropping intensity was 116% and 4% lower than average.  According to the spatial distribution of VCIx, the southeast regions have low values (<0.5), indicating a very bad situation for crops. Hence, production prospects for this important region of Romania are unfavorable. The CPI of Romania was only 0.79, a very low value. Overall, crop conditions were unfavorable for Romania due to the prolonged rainfall deficit.

Regional analysis

More spatial detail is provided below for three main agro-ecological zones: the Central mixed farming and pasture Carpathian hills (165), the Eastern and southern maize, wheat and sugar beet plains (166), and the Western and central maize, wheat and sugar beet plateau (167).

For the Central mixed farming and pasture Carpathian hills, rainfall decreased by as much as 39% below average and biomass decreased by 16%, while temperature increased by 2.2℃ and radiation increased by 2%. The maximum VCI map shows values above 0.5, with the regional average at 0.78. The NDVI spatial distribution shows that NDVI was below average during the reporting period. As this AEZ occupies only a small fraction of cropland in Romania, a small patch of irrigated land in Transylvania, its fair cannot represent much of Romania's crop production. The cropping intensity is 117%, 1% lower than average.

For the Eastern and Southern maize, wheat and sugar beet plains, rainfall decreased by 14%, temperature increased by 2.1℃, radiation increased by 1% and biomass increased by 1%, which is the only increase in all sub regions. The NDVI development graph shows that crop conditions were largely lower than average until september. VCIx value of this region was only 0.65. According to the distribution map, VCIx values were below 0.5 in some of the southern region (counties of Tulcea and Constanta), representing about 14.3% of national cropland. The cropping intensity was 116%, 3% lower than the five-year average.

For the Western and central maize, wheat and sugar beet plateau, rainfall was lower than average by 37%, temperature was slightly warmer (ΔTEMP +1.6℃), radiation was a bit higher (ΔRADPAR +2%), and biomass decreased by 14%. Summer heat and a rainfall deficit induced drought in this region. Spatial NDVI profiles show that crop condition was worse than average during July to August, covering the last growing period of maize and spring wheat. Maximum VCI of this region was 0.77. The VCI distribution was mainly between 0.5 and 1.0.  The cropping intensity was 116%, 6% lower than average.

Overall, the widespread lack of rainfall and summer heat had a negative impact on crop conditions, and the production prospects were unfavorable.

(a) Phenology of major crops
(b) Crop condition development graph based on NDVI	(c) Maximum VCI
(d) Spatial NDVI patterns compared to 5YA	(e) NDVI departure profiles
(f) Rainfall profiles	(g) Temperature profiles
(h) National CPI time series graph
Crop condition development graph based on NDVI(left:Western and central maize wheat and sugarbeet plateau,right:Central mixed farming and pasture Carpathian hills)
Figure.4.1 Crop condition development graph based on NDVI
Crop condition development graph based on NDVI(Eastern and southern maize wheat and sugarbeet plains)

Table 3.1 Romania's agro-climatic indicators by sub-national regions, current season's values and departure from 15YA, July‐October 2024

Table 3.2 Romania's  agronomic indicators by sub-national regions, current season's values and departures from 5YA, July‐October 2024