The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry, in concert with the World Bank-funded Moldova Agriculture Competitiveness Project (MAC-P), launched the third call for applications within the program of grants for facilitating market access for groups of horticultural producers. The deadline for applications is May 30, IPN reports.
Minister Ion Sula told a news conference that the project enables to make the Moldovan agriculture more competitive. Within the previous two calls for applications, grants were provided to 12 groups of producers.
Olga Sainciuc, the representative of the MAC-P implementation unit, said this project’s goal is to motivate the farmers to form associations so as to invest in production with high value added. The producers that receive grants must make their own financial contribution. The grant covers half of the investment, but cannot exceed US$350,000. The project also has a support team that offers consultancy and support to associations of agricultural producers that want to apply for grants.
Investment grants are provided to groups of producers that are not from Chisinau and Balti. The financing is intended for purchasing such equipment as fruit and vegetable washing machines, fruit and vegetable sorting and drying lines, cold storage facilities, etc.
The budget of the program of grants for facilitating market access is US$8 million, of which US$1 million is offered in technical support, while the rest in grants. The program will be implemented until 2016.
