ECONOMICS - November 13th 2004

The domestic demand for meat, eggs, milk and sugar was higher this year, as compared to the previous year. Statistics of the Ministry of Agriculture show an aggregate increase of 9% in food consumption. The reason for this trend stays in both a favorable year for farmers in 2004, but also in higher imports. By IOHANNA ONACA PURDEA

ESTIMATES: Meat and meat products will be on higher demand over the winter holidays Statistics for the first nine months show a 7.7% increase in meat consumption per capita, from 32.4 kilos to 34.9 kilos per person per year.

Poultry meat consumption had the sharpest growth, of 9%, from 12.2 kilos to 13.3 kilos per person per year. Beef meat was higher too, with 6.9%, from 5.8 kilos to 6.3 kilos per person per year. Pork meat consumption was 6.9% higher, from 13 kilos to 13.9 kilos per person per year.

Also in the first nine months, Romanians drank more milk and ate more sour cream, cheese and other dairy products. The average consumption of dairy products per capita grew from 174 kilos to 180 kilos, which is a 3.4% growth from last year. The demand for eggs was higher too, with 232 eggs per person this year, from 228 eggs per person last year.

Sugar consumption went up too, from 17.9 kilos per capita last year, to 19.2 kilos per capita in 2004, which means a 7.3% increase. Romanians also ate this year more pastas. From an average of 1.97 kilos per capita in 2000, they went to 2.77 kilos this year. While an estimate of Ion Raducan, manager of one of the largest producers of pastas, show that Romanians will eat as much as 10 kilos of pasta per year in 2015. "Romanians eat spaghettis because they are cheap," said Raducan.

ECONOMICS - November 13th 2004

The domestic demand for meat, eggs, milk and sugar was higher this year, as compared to the previ