BUCHAREST: Romania’s production of wheat and maize rose in 2023 as yields recovered after a drought-driven drop the previous year, preliminary data from the National Statistics Board showed on Friday, while sunseed crops fell.

The European Union state reaped 9.6 million metric tons of wheat, up 11% from 8.6 million tons in 2022. Its maize harvest stood at 8.52 million tons, up 6% on the year, while sunseed production was 2.02 million tons, down 3.7%.

Romania is among the European Union’s largest grain sellers and an active exporter, with Egypt a main buyer. In 2023, it was the EU’s fourth-largest wheat producer and the third-largest for maize, the statistics office said.

It exports through the port of Constanta, which Ukraine has been using as its main alternative transit route since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.