Romanian MP: We need to rethink the investment in educating the younger generation
We need to reposition our approach towards investing in educating the younger generation to understand the importance of the sector and the advantages of working in agriculture, is the signal given by Member of Parliament Adrian Chesnoiu, former Minister of Agriculture and currently Member of the Agriculture Committee of the Chamber of Deputies.
Adrian Chesnoiu made a brief analysis as a result of an article published by AGROINTEL.RO about the rising incomes of workers in China's agriculture. The phenomenon of rising wages is also present in the European Union, and Romania is hardly keeping pace with these increases, which is why Romania is still losing labour to other EU countries.
"I was reading a news story recently: the average annual income per capita in rural China has risen to about USD3,000 in 2022. [...] The international concern for rural development and investment in agriculture is evident. In the European Union, which is one of the world's leading producers and exporters of agri-food products, more than 22 million people are regularly employed in this sector. However, there are countries like Romania with a shortage of agricultural labour," said Adrian Chesnoiu.
The former minister also outlined the reasons why Romania is facing a labour shortage in agriculture. "We all know that the main reasons why there are not enough employees in the sector are their migration to other EU countries for higher salaries, the ageing of the population and the reduced interest of the younger generation in working the land and rearing animals. This is proof that we need to reposition our approach towards investing in educating the younger generation to understand the importance of the sector and the benefits of working in agriculture," said Chesnoiu.
The MEP indicated that he supports the continuation of the policy to increase the income of workers in agriculture and reduce the labour shortage. "Last year we managed to promote a legislative initiative to increase the minimum gross income in agriculture to RON3,000 (EUR600) and to grant tax incentives to both the employee and the employer, so that the income for the employee is higher!", Chesnoiu pointed out.
Source: www.agrointeligenta.ro