The are in full development business financing actions but also of collective forms that are active in primary domainthrough the Recovery Fund.

“The Recovery Fund is designed and implemented on the basis of addressing chronic problems of the primary sector, while at the same time incorporating the requirements of the modern socio-economic environment, so that the primary sector becomes sustainable, competitive, efficient and attractive, giving incentives to young people to enter, with an expected resulting in an increase in employment” he told APE-MBE Secretary General of Agricultural Policy and International Relations of the Ministry of Rural Development and Food, Kostas Baginetas.

Also, although it is not a pure social policy tool, its implementation and implementation lays the foundations for a sustainable and inclusive industry.

The main objectives of this financial instrument are to make both new investments and to reform the primary sector. In more detail, macroeconomic and financial stability is offered through investments through economic efficiency, digital transformation, environmental protection, social cohesion and justice, while reforms give the Plan efficiency and perspective.

For the primary sector, the projects and actions funded aim to modernize and improve the resilience of the sector and include investments in infrastructure that boost growth, improve connectivity and achieve economic and digital transformation, reducing environmental impacts and increasing productivity.

“Through the Recovery Fund, strong incentives are given for private investments for the green and digital transformation of businesses, the strengthening of their innovation and extroversion” underlined Mr. Baginetas.

Also, according to him, “the development of innovative, environmentally friendly processes that lead to increased production, facilitating the development of businesses in rural areas while stimulating employment, social inclusion and local development in rural areas and , by extension, in attracting young people to the countryside”.

What actions are “running”

The Ministry of Rural Development and Food, in the context of funding from the Recovery and Resilience Fund, is implementing the following actions:

1. Economic Transformation of the Agricultural Sector. The aim of the action is to create economies of scale and sustainable farms and businesses. Therefore, the strengthening of cooperatives and collective schemes, investment in innovation, as well as verticalization is promoted. Includes 5 Sub-Projects:

a. Innovation and green transition in agro-processing: inextricably linked to ongoing reform to address the structural issues of the primary sector (small and fragmented lot). In this sub-project, a total of 220 applications were submitted and resources exceeding 125 million euros have already been absorbed.

b. Modernization of the primary sector: It includes the financial support of the agri-food sector to make investments oriented towards green agriculture and precision agriculture. It aims to encourage investments with an emphasis on processing and marketing with the central criterion being the verticalization of the production process. Priority is given to collective schemes and value chains that practice contract farming. In this sub-project, a total of 433 applications were submitted in two rounds and resources of around 10 million euros have already been absorbed.

c. Green agro-tourism: Promotes interventions for the development of rural tourism and its interconnection with primary production and processing, a critical sector for the development of rural areas, as it provides opportunities for the diversification of the rural economy. 87 applications were submitted and the absorption in this sub-project already reaches 15 million euros.

d. Restructuring crops: It aims to restructure the country’s main tree crops and promotes the establishment of new varieties adapted to climate change, to produce new products with a low environmental footprint and export potential. In the sub-project, 69 applications were submitted and advance requests have been submitted with the absorption amounting to 2 million euros.

e. Genetic improvement of animals: It aims to preserve the hereditary properties of animals, to use the genetic material of domestic Greek breeds, to control and improve their yields, to strengthen specific characteristics related to milk and meat and to improve the balance import-export of animal products. 22 applications were submitted with a total amount of Public Expenditure of 20 million euros.

2. Aquaculture. It aims to strengthen the sector in order to cope with the significant difficulties it faced in the midst of a pandemic and the effects of the measures to prevent the spread of the virus, which it is still called upon to manage today. The applications that have been submitted are a total of 19 and the Public Expenditure reaches 19 million euros.

Who benefits?

The beneficiaries of the above actions are Businesses and Collective Schemes. The focus is on the primary sector, through the adoption of contract agriculture, the promotion of verticalization and the synergy of tourism with primary production with the ultimate goal of creating strong and sustainable collective forms.

At the same time, the implementation of “green” investments oriented towards digital transformation, the strengthening of their innovation and extroversion and the strengthening of the agricultural sector in general are encouraged.

Finally, an innovation is the possibility of receiving the public aid by using the financial tool of the advance, which gives the option to investors to have 100% of the aid immediately at their disposal. It is worth noting that disbursements of 140 million euros have been completed so far.