, who held a press conference on Tuesday, as reported by Moldpres.){kind=link}
More than two thousand applications have been deemed eligible for the procedure of granting unique assistance to small and micro farmers affected by the consequences of the 2022 crises, according to Vasile Şarban, State Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry (MAIA), who held a press conference on Tuesday, as reported by Moldpres.
According to the official, financial assistance will be provided to farmers who have prepared the soil and sown crops of the first group (wheat and barley, oats and triticale), primary products that are essential for important social products, as well as for animal feed. The current prices offered for these types of goods do not cover the investments, and farmers risk being unable to fulfill their contractual commitments.
“Providing financial support will help about 3,000 farmers who own land up to 1,500 hectares. These aids will facilitate the cultivation of around 280,000 hectares of land sown with first-group crops, according to statistical declarations. Calculating and granting assistance in specific terms will facilitate and amplify the actions of farmers, ensuring the continuity of the food chain,” Şarban mentioned.
The aid is calculated by the Agency for Intervention and Payment for Agriculture (AIPA) based on submitted applications. The method for calculating assistance is carried out after identifying eligible areas per applicant and the category coefficient, depending on the managed areas.
“Agriculture benefits from substantial subsidies of over 1.7 billion lei annually because we aim for this sector to become more technologized and less vulnerable to external challenges gradually. The enormous effort we make today, together with the entire society, will help farmers overcome the financial difficulties they face,” estimated Vasile Şarban.
The government has allocated 200 million lei (10 million euros) for small and micro farmers affected by the crises of 2022. According to statistical declarations, these aids would facilitate the cultivation of around 280,000 hectares of land sown with first-group crops (wheat, barley, oats).