The Agency for Intervention and Payments in Agriculture last year received 4,549 applications for subsidies from agricultural producers, to the total value of 641 million lei. The Agency’s director Nicolae Ciubuc told a news conference that the number of applications is higher than a year before, IPN reports.

The financial resources available in 2016 were used to pay overdue agricultural subsidies for 2014 and 2015. There were accepted 1,700 applications submitted in 2016, to the value of 230 million lei. The subsidies based on the other 2,800 applications that could not be satisfied last year are paid from the agriculture subsidization fund for 2017. 1,000 agricultural producers already received the money. The other pending applications will be satisfied in two-three weeks so that there are no debts for last year by March 1, when applications for subsidies for this year will start to be accepted.

“Subsidies of about 350 million lei could not be paid in 2016 based on applications. Approximately 250 million lei will be paid in the course of February. With the approval of the subsidization regulations for 2017, we aim to clear all the debts to farmers by the moment new applications start to be received,” stated Nicolae Ciubuc.

He also said that most of the applicants last year asked for subsidies to purchase conventional agricultural equipment. From territorial viewpoint, the largest number of subsidies was submitted in Cahul district – 297. The largest sum was asked in Comrat district – 46 million lei. By the legal organizational forms, the peasant farmsteads were the most active applicants last year. These asked for 147 million lei.

Nicolae Ciubuc added that 286 applicants for subsidies were young farmers, while 186 were women farmers.