YOUNG FARMERS - A FUNDAMENTAL FACTOR IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR.

Generational renewal plays an important role in strengthening resilient agriculture at EU level. The low number of young people working in agriculture is, on the one hand, a major concern both in Romania and at EU level, but also the subject of political stimulus measures.The purpose of this study is to analyze the changes that occur at the level of agricultural structure according to the age group of farm managers in Romania between 2005 and 2016. Thus, the analysis carried out assesses the effects of agricultural policies aimed at generational renewal. Although a number of measures to stimulate the young people's entry into agriculture have been introduced in recent years, there is a significant decrease in this category between 2010 and 2016. The ratio between young farmers and farmers aged 65+ indicates that the agricultural community is aging. In order to highlight the significant potential that young farmers have in supporting the sustainable economy, economic growth and competitiveness, a number of key variables were analyzed in relation to the age group, such as: number of holdings, agricultural area, number of livestock farms, standard production (SO), but also the number of farms with self-consumption. The analysis shows that farms run by young farmers are much more profitable compared to older farmers, but the factors that encourage young people to remain in the agricultural sector as farms leaders it does not seem sufficient to enough maintain it in this sector [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]