JD Agro Cocora has grown from around 4,000 to more than 17,000 hectares since Hans Poulsen joined the management team in 2010.
Scaling up was demanding. So was adapting to farming in Romania.
START AGAIN.
Farming conditions were so different from Denmark that much of what Hans had learned about climate had to be “deleted and reformatted”. Drought. Big swings between years. Very different growing conditions.
So the company looked outward. Study tours with Danish Farmers Abroad. Other professional visits. Trips with the board.
Not to copy. To challenge their own assumptions.
That learning influenced everything from conservation agriculture and no-till to machinery and irrigation.
LESS EXPANSION. MORE RESILIENCE.
Since 2024, rapid expansion is no longer the priority. The focus is reducing climate and operational risk, and optimising operations.
Hans applies much the same logic to leadership: give people responsibility, develop them, communicate clearly and stay close enough to know what is really happening.
FIVE YEARS FROM NOW?
More AI. More autonomous machinery. More drones. And farmers moving closer to consumers.
Would he recommend Romania to someone considering farming abroad today?
Yes.
Despite the weather risk and bureaucracy, he sees a country where agriculture is respected and large-scale farming can be run very professionally.
AND OUTSIDE WORK?
Hans does occasionally leave the fields. Every year, a group of friends picks a new wine region to explore. And he meets up in Denmark for an annual hunting trip with friends from agricultural college.
Read the original post on LinkedIn