The selection reports for funding applications submitted between November 11 and December 12, 2022, for various components of measure 4.1a (Investments in Fruit-growing Farms) have been published by the Agency for Rural Investment Financing (AFIR).

Following the evaluation process conducted by AFIR's experts, 44 farmers have been selected based on their scoring for non-reimbursable funding totaling €20.33 million. The funding will be provided by AFIR to support investments in their own fruit-growing farms.

For the component of machinery acquisition for harvesting (farm modernization), AFIR has selected 40 funding applications amounting to €5.26 million.

In the component of plantation establishment, expansion, modernization, including conditioning and marketing (as secondary components), 22 investments have been selected with a total of €14.77 million.

Additionally, within the component of nursery establishment, expansion, or modernization, including conditioning and marketing, AFIR has selected 2 projects for funding totaling €298,000.

"These funds that we provide at the end of the 2020 National Rural Development Program (PNDR) are of utmost importance for the development of the Romanian fruit-growing sector. We need high-quality fruits that are competitive in the European market, but we must not overlook the need for efficient nurseries, which are also essential for the sector. In the near future, through the National Strategic Plan (PNS), we will have new funding opportunities to support the fruit-growing sector. Our country's potential must be capitalized upon because we have the capacity to produce much more and much better," said George CHIRIȚĂ, the General Director of AFIR.

The quality threshold for the monthly evaluation in the third stage of the 2022 annual session (November 11 - December 12, 2022) was set at 15 points for all components.

To date, through measure 4.1a, 513 investment projects in fruit-growing farms have been contracted, amounting to over €284 million.