A number of 109 farmers received €16.5 million in funding this year within the EU-funded “Moldova’s Orchard” program, IPN reports.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry said that this year the eligibility criteria were extended from the horticultural sector to the entire agri-food sector. This way, starting with 2024, businessmen from such sectors as horticulture, viticulture, animal husbandry, aquaculture and fish production, tourism, beekeeping and grain crops, will be able to access financing for business development under more accessible conditions – lending for up to ten years, grace period of four years, attractive interest rate and financial ceiling. Another €28 million is still available for business development.

Since the launch of the project in 2016, 530 economic agents have been granted loans on favorable terms to the value of €92 million.