AgriMin: Building a more accessible mechanism for financing European projects is essential

Over 100 farmers from Gorj County participated on Tuesday in Targu-Jiu in a seminar dedicated to projects financed through the National Rural Development Program (PNDR), an event attended by minister in charge Florin Barbu, which looked at the challenges and opportunities in the agricultural sector, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development announced on Facebook.

General director of the PNDR Management Authority Dana Rebega provided detailed clarifications on the available financing measures, eligibility terms and priorities for the coming period, while president of the Gorj County Council Cosmin Mihai Popescu emphasized the importance of agriculture investments for Romania's economic development.

"It is essential that, together with the banking system and the Guarantee Fund, we build a more accessible mechanism for financing European projects," emphasized Minister of Agriculture Florin Barbu.

On this occasion, he also presented a report on the results of the animal breeding sector over 2023 - 2025.

"Alone in 2024 Romania produced over 598 million chickens, with over 18 million raised in Gorj County. In the sheep sector, the PNDR 2014-2020 financed investments in slaughterhouses and reproduction, contributing to the increase in livestock," the Ministry's post states.

Also, the Minister of Agriculture mentioned that Romania has exported over 200 million chickens to France, Italy and other European countries, reaching a self-sufficiency rate of 165% in the poultry sector.

"The role of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is to efficiently integrate the new European funds into all branches of agriculture - crops, livestock and processing," said Florin Barbu, reiterating that the partnership with Romanian farmers is essential for the success of any rural development program, considering that "farmers are the basic pillar of Romanian agriculture".

Between July 21 - 23 the Agriculture minister is conducting a series of working visits to the counties of Gorj, Caras-Severin and Mehedinti, to analyze the implementation status of PNDR-financed projects and to discuss with local authorities and farmers the challenges and opportunities in agriculture.