Farmers in Areas with Natural Constraints or Applying for Environmental and Climate Interventions Receive Compensation Payments Totaling €393.1 Million

Through the Agency for Rural Investment Financing (AFIR), farmers who operate in areas with natural constraints or apply for environmental and climate interventions have received compensation payments for income losses amounting to a total of €393,129,835.86.

These funds have been disbursed by AFIR to farmers benefiting from interventions related to animal welfare, environment, and climate under the Strategic Plan 2023-2027, from the launch of the program (April 2024) to the present.

The total financial allocation for this type of support in the current financial framework is €2.37 billion.

From the total amount paid by AFIR:

• €80.9 million has been transferred to farmers for agri-environment and climate interventions on permanent grasslands (DR-01).
• Substantial payments have also been made for animal welfare (DR-06), amounting to €125.6 million.
• AFIR has allocated €94.7 million to beneficiaries in areas affected by natural constraints – Mountain Area (DR-09) and another €80 million for areas with significant natural constraints (DR-10).
• Payments for farms in areas affected by specific natural constraints (DR-11) have reached €6.9 million so far.

It is important to recall that during the 2023-2027 financial programming period, AFIR holds the payment function for environmental and climate interventions, as well as for animal welfare measures funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD). Following the necessary procedural verifications, AFIR transfers the funds directly to the beneficiaries' accounts. The implementation of these interventions – including the receipt and verification of payment applications – is managed by the Agency for Payments and Intervention in Agriculture (APIA).

The support provided through these interventions aims to economically compensate farmers for the disadvantages they face in agricultural activities, due to low land productivity and additional costs associated with maintaining agricultural activities in these areas.