The evaluation of the applications submitted in the recent Invitation of the Young Farmers Program has started, following an order from the Minister of Rural Development and Food, George Georgantas, to intensify the efforts of the competent services of the ministry and the Regions, to which the relevant authority has been assigned.
The interest for participation in the relevant invitation was very high as almost 17,500 applications were submitted by young people who want to be active in the primary sector for the first time.
In statements made to the Athenian-Macedonian News Agency, Mr. Georgantas referred to the “high priority that this program has in the planning of the Ministry, given its significant contribution to the implementation of the strategy for the age restructuring of the productive potential of agriculture and , as well as the overall revitalization of local rural communities “, adding that” this is why the doubling of the first settlement premium that young farmers will receive is foreseen, in order to give substantial incentives for sustainable employment in our primary sector with more conditions and conditions. ambitious business goals and economic growth of agricultural holdings “.
It is reminded that the program for which the evaluation of applications begins, has an increased budget by 139,110,000 euros, compared to the sum of previous programs issued in 2016 and 2018.
As officials of the Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure told APE – BPE this “shows the strong interest in supporting the primary sector, but also for age renewal of the country’s productive capacity in both agriculture and livestock” adding that “the criteria are stricter, so that the beneficiaries are those who really want to stay in the primary sector.
Budget and finalized applications
The budget of the program is 420 million euros, with the distribution of public expenditure by Region being made taking into account, among others, 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, 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.
Specifically, the distribution of public expenditure by Region is as follows:
– Eastern Macedonia & Thrace: 37,300,000 euros
– Central Macedonia: 62,200,000 euros
– Western Macedonia: 30,500,000 euros
– Thessaly: 44,500,000 euros
– Central Greece: 37,900,000 euros
– Epirus: 33,200,000 euros
– Ionian Islands: 11,700,000 euros
– Western Greece: 44,100,000 euros
– Peloponnese: 39,500,000 euros
– Attica: 10,800,000 euros
– South Aegean: 12,000,000 euros
– North Aegean: 19,000,000 euros
– Crete: 37,300,000 euros
– TOTAL: 420,000,000 euros
Finally, the finalized applications per Region are as follows:
* Region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace – 1,461 applications
* Attica Region – 159 applications
* North Aegean Region – 859 applications
* Region of Western Greece – 2,244 applications
* Region of Western Macedonia – 1,062 applications
* Epirus Region – 750 applications
* Region of Thessaly – 1,968 applications
* Ionian Islands Region – 186 applications
* Region of Central Macedonia – 3,020 applications
* Region of Crete – 2,599 applications
* South Aegean Region – 240 applications
* Peloponnese Region – 1,873 applications
* Region of Central Greece – 1,067 applications
* Total – 17,488 applications
Follow Skai.gr on Google News
and be the first to know all the news
