AIPA starts accepting applications for direct payments in the livestock sector from the National Fund for the Development of Agriculture and Rural Areas.
This was stated by Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry Vladimir Bolea during a briefing on Monday, noting that under this form of subsidy, the government will provide payments of up to 1.5 million lei per beneficiary. It is worth noting that on July 24 the Monitorul Oficial published the Regulations on the provision of direct payments in the livestock sector from the National Fund for the Development of Agriculture and Rural Areas. Direct payment in the livestock sector is provided per head of animal and per kilogram of production and is paid to owners of cattle, sheep, goats and horses. Direct payment is provided to livestock breeders for animals registered and operated on livestock farms - at least 3 months old, kept in a herd of at least 5 heads of heifers, 50 heads of sheep and ewes specialized for milk production, 30 heads of sheep and lambs specialized for meat production, 30 heads of goats, 5 heads of mares, stallions and foals kept in farms certified in the breeding category or registered in genealogical books. The amount of payments is set depending on the type and category of animal, within the approved limits (from 400 lei for a hen older than 3 months to 5 thousand lei for mares and stallions or heifers older than 12 months and from 3 to 25 lei per kilogram of meat and dairy products and up to 7 thousand lei per kilogram of fish material). Direct payments are available to farmers who own and operate the above-mentioned species of animals that are registered and insured, and the farm has a veterinary activity permit. The farmer must not have arrears in paying taxes and fees, at the same time he must own real estate or have a contract for the lease of real estate on which the farm is located, and be a member of one of the agricultural producers' associations. Payments per kilogram of received and sold livestock products are designed to encourage farmers to increase production volumes, to conduct a more rigorous selection of animals, excluding unproductive ones from the herd. According to preliminary calculations, up to 170 million lei will be allocated for direct payments from the National Fund for the Development of Agriculture and Rural Areas. Herewith, the head of the Ministry of Agriculture noted that direct payments are provided for the revival of the livestock sector; increasing the average productivity of agricultural enterprises; cultivation, reproduction and improvement of breeds and exploitation of animals in agricultural enterprises; improving living standards in rural areas and adapting to climate change and mitigating its impact on agricultural production. He stressed that in the case of water user associations, payments for irrigation will be higher, but will amount to up to 3 million lei. Bolea stressed that the state plans to support at least 3,000 beneficiaries a year. At the same time, AIPA Deputy Director Diana Coșalîc said that in the near future the agency's specialists would hold information sessions in the country's settlements to explain to farmers the procedure, the right to receive and ways to provide additional subsidies. Applications for payments can be submitted until September 30th.//24.07.2023 – InfoMarket.
