Agency for Payments in Agriculture receives applications for subsidies

The Agency for Payments and Intervention in Agriculture in February started to receive applications for obtaining subsidies in 2012 from agricultural producers. A sum of 400 million lei was budgeted for the purpose, for eight subsidization areas, Info-Prim Neo reports. The Agency’s director Petru Maleru, in a program on Radio Moldova, said that there were 11 subsidization areas last year. “This does not mean that subsidies in the other areas will not be provided. For example, the assistance to ecological agriculture will not be among the eight areas, but money for developing ecological agriculture was allocated in the other areas. An applicant will receive at most 150,000 lei within the stimulation of lending to farmers field (for a loan of 1.5m lei), as in 2011. But the highest loan within the stimulation of lending to farmers under the ecological food products inspection and certification system will be 200,000 lei,” stated Petru Maleru. Among other subsidization areas are the stimulation of investors for growing vegetables on protected land, stimulation of investments made in agricultural machinery, and stimulation of investments in developing post-harvest infrastructure. ”The subsidies will be given in two stages - 75% when the contract for the provision of financial support is signed, and 25% after November 1, 2012. We aim to satisfy all the requests for subsidies made until October 31, 2012 and not to accumulate debts,” said Petru Maleru.