Romania Asks EC For Solutions To Reimburse Local Cucumber Producers

Romanian cucumber producers' losses over the next two months are estimated at EUR9 million because of the halt in exports and a slump in local sales.

Officials of the Agriculture Ministry, the Agency for Payments and Intervention in Agriculture and the Sanitary Veterinary and Food Safety Authority and producers' organization Hortifruct met Saturday to asses the losses of Romanian cucumber producers.

"We've met to evaluate the losses of cucumber producers. Following the halt in exports to the Czech Republic and Germany, producers register losses of EUR100,000 per day. (...) We estimate losses of EUR9 million over the next two months from local and EU sales. We are analyzing the situation and we will present it to the European Commission, which will decide how these producers can be reimbursed," Agriculture Ministry state secretary Adrian Radulescu told MEDIAFAX.

He added cucumber sales on the local market have recently dropped 70% and demand fort cucumbers continues to decline, following Germany's announcement that it found cucumbers infected with E.coli.

The epidemic caused by the bacteria has killed 16 people and has affected 1,400 and is spreading in northern Germany.

Twelve countries have reported cases of E.coli infections.

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