Young Farmers: The platform for the 420 million euro program opens – More than 11,000 beneficiaries

The platform for submitting applications to the program of the Ministry of Rural Development Young Farmers, with a budget of 420 million euros, opens tomorrow. Applications to the program will be submitted exclusively electronically. The objectives of the program include:

-The age renewal of the sector

-Increasing the effectiveness of the measure, through the provision of sufficient aid to cover the costs of first establishment in the agricultural sector and investment

-Supporting candidates for young farmers, who do not face the opportunity to enter the agricultural sector

According to the Deputy Minister of Rural Development and Food G. Stylios, “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. In this context, we double the amount we give to young farmers, compared to the previous programs, while we give 70% in advance. “For the first time, everything will be done electronically, even the evaluation of applications. Our goal is not to have an extension and to give the money to young farmers within a maximum of 6-7 months”.

It is noted that the program envisages the increase of the aid amount to 35,000 euros – 40,000 euros (with an increase of up to 5,000 euros, depending on the place of permanent residence and the direction of the holding) as well as the determination of the obligations undertaken by the candidates for inclusion in the measure .

The basic elements of the program

More detail:

-The measure is addressed to adults who have not exceeded 41 years of age and who settle for the first time on a farm during the eighteen months preceding the submission of the request for support.

For the integration, an application and business plan with a duration of 3 to 4 years is submitted electronically to the State Aid Information System.

-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.

Beneficiaries must acquire the status of professional farmer and maintain it for four years from the completion of their business plan.

Beneficiaries must be subject to the normal VAT regime and remain in it for a period of four years from the completion of their business plan.

The distribution

The distribution of public expenditure by Region has been made taking into account, among other criteria, the fair development transition, insularity, mountainousness, the underestimation of the intra-regional importance of the primary sector due to the presence, in the same Region, of a strong secondary sector, as well as the need to strengthen the fire-affected regions, which arose from the widespread fires in rural areas in the summer of 2021.

The submission of applications will start tomorrow, November 12, and will last until Tuesday, December 14, 2021.