“Sales went well, in spite of the crisis, and we cannot say that there is stagnation in consumption. We have investments planned for the period immediately ahead and want to increase the number of animals,” Niculae declared for Business Standard. The group also includes the Cicalex cold meats producer, a slaughterhouse, and several animal farms.
Niculae likewise owns 170 hectares of vineyard, which enjoyed its first harvest last year. The owner of Interagro started out with wines as a hobby, recently turning it into a business, and he wants to increase his presence on the wine market significantly at the end of the year, when he will have a sufficient quantity.
The businessman manages some 50,000 ha of farmland, and is one of the top owners of such land in Romania. InterAgro can store 700,000 tons of grain in its silos, and a further 450,000 tons in storage.
The group is due to inaugurate its Zimnicea biodiesel factory, following an investment worth €65 million, whose production will be for domestic use and export.
Niculae believes that it is increasingly difficult for farmers in Romania, because subventions are not paid on time and state assistance for chemical fertilizers is not forthcoming. He has great faith in agriculture, which he feels could contribute significantly to the country’s gross domestic product, although he is seriously considering whether it is worth continuing his business in this sector with the difficulties he has faced recently.
