The Agency for Financing Rural Investments (AFIR) announced the launch of eight funding lines between December 2025 and February 2026, with a total budget of €665 million. The beneficiaries are diverse: small farms, young farmers, processing companies, and vegetable and potato producers.

In October 2025 alone, AFIR transferred €219 million to the accounts of farmers, processors, and local authorities — the highest monthly payment recorded under the program.

The main funding lines address concrete needs

The available financing schemes are designed to support specific investment needs across the agricultural sector.

DR-14, dedicated to small farms, offers up to €50,000 per project, with a personal co-financing requirement of only 15% — meaning that the state and the European Union cover 85% of the investment.

DR-12, aimed at newly established young farmers, allows access to up to €200,000, with a personal contribution of 20%.

DR-23 targets the processing and marketing of agricultural products, offering financing of up to €2 million per project, with support intensity reaching a maximum of 65% of eligible costs.

Strong funding availability, but limited absorption

On paper, the available funding landscape appears highly attractive. However, the absorption rate remains below potential.

One of the main reasons is the complexity of the documentation process and the lengthy evaluation period, which discourage small and medium-sized farmers that lack administrative resources.

Applications worth more than €525 million have already been submitted for the establishment and modernization of processing units — a clear sign that the industrial segment is more agile in attracting funding than family-run farms.

A competitive disadvantage for those who stay out

The total budget allocated to agriculture by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MADR) in 2024 amounted to nearly 60 billion lei, equivalent to approximately 2% of Romania’s GDP, with priority given to co-financing projects supported through European funds.

Farmers who fail to access these financial instruments are not only missing an important investment opportunity — they are also competing at a disadvantage against producers in other EU member states that systematically capitalize on every available euro in non-reimbursable funding.