ABSTRACT
The health crisis caused by Covid-19 generated, among many other effects, a series of dysfunctions in the agri-food system, respectively in farms, in the supply chains with inputs and agri-food products, at the level of food demand. In the existing context in the Romanian agriculture, with millions of family farms, mostly subsistence and semi-subsistence ones, we initiated the present study in Calarasi county obtaining information on the main challenges facing family farms during the health crisis and we summarized the farmers' proposals regarding the expectations they have from the local and national authorities in order to ensure the conditions for capitalizing the farm products. The questionnaire was applied in the agri-food markets in Calarasi and Oltenita municipalities, as well as in 9 localities in Calarasi county, with a population of over 5,000 inhabitants, where weekly markets and fairs for the exploitation of agri-food products are organized. 61 questionnaires were applied and analyzed, through the survey-interview carried out between June and August 2021. The main challenges they face refer to the change of consumption patterns, blockages in the peasant markets and the increase of online deliveries, syncope in the agri-industrial processing sector, the closure of the firms from HORECA, but also of the schools, canteens, etc. All these challenges had the effect, first of all, of reducing the farmers' income due to the agricultural production decline.
ABSTRACT
In the context of the accentuation of the urbanization process, the towns become the main source of territorial development. At the same time, however, they face major challenges regarding sustainability, climate change, social cohesion, environment or mobility. In the perspective of 2030, Calarasi municipality will be the economic center of interest of South-Muntenia region, through the superior capitalization of the existing resources: the geo-strategic positioning, the natural and anthropic patrimony and the human resource. Based on these considerations, we set out to highlight the tourist potential of Calarasi municipality in order to identify the types of tourism that can be practiced in the town and its surroundings. The indicators of the tourist infrastructure, respectively, tourist accommodation units, accommodation capacity, analysis of the main tourist traffic - arrivals, overnight stays, average length of stay were structurally determined and analyzed for 2007-2019, after Romania accession to the European Union and before the health crisis Covid-19. The favourable geographical location of the municipality gives it various advantages as regards economy, tourism, and landscape. The proximity to the Danube River, which is a real development potential for leisure, fishing, business or scientific tourism, to which is added the cultural, ecumenical and hunting tourism. The attractiveness of this Danube town can be increased by better capitalizing on the elements of built and natural heritage that complement the urban landscape and neighbourhoods and which can lead to increase the stay of tourists, with economic and social implications.
ABSTRACT
Romania is one of the European countries with the most favorable soil and climate conditions in order to obtain quality agricultural productions and in significant quantities, which can cover an important segment of the domestic demand for agri-food products. Despite the considerable potential, the profitability in Romanian agriculture is still modest, indicating a use of production factors below the level of optimal values. Based on these considerations and predicting that in 2021, the population need for agri-food products consumption will increase, as a result of the repatriation of approximately two million Romanian citizens, who worked in the European Union countries due to the crisis generated by Covid-19, we initiated the present study on the agricultural production evolution in Calarasi county, in comparison to South Muntenia Region, of which it is part and with the production at national level. For the data processing and interpretation, the method of statistical indicators was used, respectively, the comparative analysis of the researched phenomena. The comparison method was used in the analysis of the data series that covered time periods between 2000 and 2007 and 2008 and 2018, depending on the available data. For each period, the indicators were calculated: average, standard deviation, coefficient of variation and annual growth rate. It results clearly that for the next period it is important to intensify some measures to provide subsidies, to use on large scale the need for irrigation, fertilization and other activities that will give perspective to evolution in this area and lead to the agrio-food security and independence of Romania.