TRAINING CENTERS NETWORK FOR AGRICULTURAL ADVICE IN ROMANIA

Looking to develop the national institutional capacity for implementing the new requirements and to improve the flow of information on EU standards related to production, a joint World Bank and Romanian Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development Project successfully set up Training and Information Centers in the main regions in Romania, as knowledge resource bases for improvement and updating the professional capacity of the research, extension and food safety specialists. Positive effects at farmer level are expected to appear towards the end of the Project, due to receiving up-to date information/advice from the agricultural consultants, better technologies available from the research institutes and improved practices regarding food safety. A strategy document has been developed, aiming to back up the sustainable development of the Centers. The document recommended that the training programs should be addressed in the future also to other target groups. Training and Information Centers would continue to meet the training needs with further expected Governmental employed trainings, applications on EU funded projects as well as training to private sector on fee basis.