More than 1.5 billion euros requested by Romanian farmers to invest in agricultural holdings
The Agency for Rural Investment Financing (AFIR) in Romania received between 2015 and 2018 funding applications for investments in farms (agricultural holdings) amounting to 1.536 billion euros, submitted by 3,625 farmers. Of these, AFIR selected 1,617 investment projects worth EUR 739.8 million and signed 1,454 financing contracts worth 556.9 million euros so far.
The financing of farm investment projects is provided by AFIR through sub-measure 4.1 (Investment in agricultural holdings) under the National Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 (PNDR 2020). The financial allocation available to farmers through this funding line for the entire programming period is EUR 790 million for all its four components: crop, livestock, mountain areas and family farms.
"The non-reimbursable financial support we provide to our beneficiaries has led until now to the setting up and modernization of 1040 crop farms, 89 dairy farms, 55 beef farms, 86 mixed farms, 50 horticultural farms, 34 poultry farms, 24 pig farms. For investments made so far under sub-measure 4.1, AFIR settled payments totaling 295 million euros. Investments of this type are important to bring the agricultural sector to the level of competitiveness of the European common market, and the indicators of achievement are a clear argument regarding the progress registered by Romania in this respect," said Daniel CRUNŢEANU, Deputy Director-General of the Agency for Rural Investment Financing.
Through the investment projects financed under sub-measure 4.1, farmers can do constructions for productive activities, including access roads to the farm, irrigation and connection of the farm to public utilities, can modernize and equip the farm with new machinery and equipment within market price values. Also, the financing of the projects can cover the construction, arrangement and equipping the sales and marketing areas, as well as other marketing expenses, within an integrated food chain.
Source: AFIR, Press Information - March 30, 2018