Gov't considers state-aid schemes for agriculture

The government on Wednesday considered in first reading several draft pieces of legislation regarding the establishment of state-aid schemes for agriculture, including cattle breeders, pig farmers, poultry farmers, beekeepers and drought-affected farmers according to Ionel Danca, head of the Chancellery of the Prime Minister.

"In the field of agriculture, as announced in the opening of the government meeting, the Ministry of Agriculture presented several draft emergency ordinances for the establishment of state-aid schemes for several areas in the area of farmers, the area of animals that have suffered losses as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Discussed in first reading and - after getting all the opinions - several state-aid schemes will be approved at a subsequent government meeting, as follows: a state-aid scheme for cattle breeders, we are talking about a scheme under which applicants can get a maximum aid of 100,000 euros for losses sustained as a result of the COVID 19 pandemic. The budget for this scheme is 35.7 million lei for about 44,000 applicants," Danca said Wednesday at the end of the government meeting.

He added that another aid scheme is aimed at raising pigs.

"We have a similar scheme on a budget of 119 million lei, with the maximum value of the aid being 100,000 euros per beneficiary," Danca said.

He added that for poultry farmers, the state-aid scheme discussed has a budget of "109 million lei", and for those in the beekeeping sector the scheme has a budget of "50 million lei", for " approximately 24,000 applicants."

"More details on how to apply for this support mechanism will be released after their final adoption," Danca said.

He said the Ministry of Agriculture presented in the first reading a draft emergency ordinance for the establishment of a state-aid scheme for agricultural producers affected by this year's drought.

"We are talking about a number of beneficiaries of approximately 34,800, with the total value of the scheme being 850 million lei, and the maximum value of support is 925 lei per hectare," Danca explained.