The platform was opened for young farmers

The platform for the Young Farmers program opened today, November 12th.

For the new period the Young Farmers Program is increased to 420 million euros and each beneficiary will be able to receive up to 40,000 euros, an amount more than double the previous program.

The Minister of Rural Development and Food, Mr. Spilios Libanos, on the occasion of the opening of the platform stated:

“The program has a developmental dimension. Its goal is to support those who really want to invest in rural areas and not occasionally get an aid. It creates the incentives and obligations for those involved in this program to remain professional farmers for seven years. It is an emblematic measure that comes to face important problems, such as aging, as it aims at demographic renewal.In addition it comes to serve our philosophy for a new form of agricultural production, for investing in innovative shapes and products, in products that can give To enable people from other industries to see the opportunity and invest in the primary sector and to serve our policy as a whole, which is intertwined with both the European logic of the Green Deal and the logic that comes from future of sustainable, environmental, digital and cyclical development “.

The Deputy Minister of Rural Development and Food, George Stylios, pointed out:

“With this Program, our goal is to enable more than 11,000 young people to engage in the primary sector, which is one of the main pillars of development of the Greek economy. The basic condition is the existence of a business plan to develop into modern farmers and real entrepreneurs, who produce value-added products that are in demand both domestically and in the international markets. “Our goal is not to have an extension and to give the money to young farmers within a maximum of 6-7 months.”

The main objectives of the invitation for the year 2021 are the following:

a) The substantial demographic renewal of the rural population and agricultural potential of the country,

b) Tackling the phenomenon of fictitious Young Farmers, who occasionally benefit from the Measure by circumventing their entry into the agricultural sector and

c) Increasing the effectiveness of the Measure by providing new incentives, such as the provision of sufficient aid both to cover the costs of the first establishment in the agricultural sector, and to make investments.

At the same time, it is foreseen for the first time the doubling of the aid amount to 40,000 euros (with increases depending on the place of permanent residence and the direction of exploitation) and the increase of the obligations undertaken by the candidates for inclusion in the Measure, in order to deal with pathogens and of the conjunctural logic, but mainly the strengthening and promotion of the Measure as a key pillar of long-term development of the agricultural sector of the country.

In particular, the most important changes of the new announcement are as follows:

The size of their farm, which will be declared in the IACS of the year 2021, expressed as a standard yield, must be in the mainland, from 14,000 to 100,000 euros.
The amount of aid is not linked to specific costs and, depending on the place of permanent residence and the productive direction of the holding, ranges from 35,000 to 40,000 euros. The aid is paid in two installments. The first installment, which is paid upon the inclusion of the beneficiary in the measure, concerns 70% of the total amount of aid while the second installment is paid at the completion of the business plan.
For the first time, the call for sub-measure 6.1 will coincide in time with the call for improvement plans (measure 4.1) in order to enable access to additional funding for the acquisition of modern equipment by Young Farmers. Therefore, in the call for improvement projects will be able to apply for support and those who will have applied for support in the call of 6.1. However, in order to join 4.1, they must necessarily be approved in 6.1 and of course they must have obtained the necessary score for 4.1.
Beneficiaries must acquire the status of professional farmer and maintain it for at least three years from the completion of their business plan, while at the same time they must be subject to the normal VAT regime and remain in it for one three years after the completion of their business design. Beneficiaries should therefore retain the status of professional farmer for a total of seven years.
In the specific invitation and with the above conditions, there will be special care for the beneficiaries of the Regional Units of Kozani and Florina, due to the de-lignification plan.