Romania's paying agency selects investments in fruit farms of over 20 million euros
A total of 44 farmers have been selected on the basis of the score obtained for non-reimbursable financing, in the amount of 20.33 million euros, for investments in their own fruit farms, announced the Agency for Financing Rural Investments (AFIR).
The selection reports for the funding applications were submitted between 11 November and 12 December 2022 for several components of the old sub-measure 4.1a (Investments in fruit farms).
According to the quoted source, following the evaluation process by AFIR experts of the applications submitted online, 44 farmers have been selected for financing. Thus, on the component acquisition of harvesting equipment (farm modernization), the Agency has selected 40 applications for funding amounting to 5.26 million euros. Under the component establishment, expansion, modernization of plantations, including conditioning and marketing (as secondary components), 22 projects will receive funding, amounting to 14.77 million euros, and under the component establishment, expansion or modernization of nurseries, including conditioning and marketing, AFIR has selected for funding two projects, amounting to 298,000 euros.
'These grants that we are providing at the end of NRDP 2014-2020 (National Rural Development Programme) are of utmost importance for the development of the Romanian fruit sector. We need quality fruit, competitive on the European market, but we must not lose sight of the efficient nurseries that are another necessity of the sector. In the next period, through the NSP (National Strategic Programme 2023-2027) we will have again funding to support the fruit sector. Our country's potential must be exploited, because we have the capacity to produce much more and much better', said George Chirita, Director General of AFIR.
Agency representatives mention that the monthly quality threshold score for the third phase of the 2022 annual session (period 11 November - 12 December 2022) was 15 points for all components.
Up to fate, 513 investment projects in fruit farms, worth more than 284 million euros, have been contracted through sub-measure 4.1a, AFIR data show.
Source: www.agrofood.ro