The submission of applications for the direct grant intended for agricultural producers in the plant sector will take place at the Agency for Payments and Intervention in Agriculture (APIA) from January 29 to March 8, 2024, inclusive.

This measure is implemented in accordance with Government Ordinance no. 5/2024 regarding the establishment of a state aid scheme to support enterprises operating in the primary production of plant agricultural products, following Russia's aggression against Ukraine.

Therefore, applications are to be submitted at the local/county branches of APIA, including the one in Bucharest, within whose territorial area the payment request for the year 2023 was filed.

All submitted applications will undergo analysis by APIA specialists to determine eligibility for the support intended for agricultural producers in the plant sector.

The direct grant represents a compensatory payment per hectare and is equivalent to 100 euros/hectare, at the exchange rate of 4.9334 lei/euro. The maximum value of the direct grant awarded per beneficiary enterprise cannot exceed the equivalent of 280,000 euros in lei.

The total financial resources are 1,200,000,000 lei, equivalent to 243,239,956 euros, provided from the state budget through the MADR budget for the year 2024.

The payment of state aid is to be made by June 30, 2024.

Additional information regarding the beneficiaries, eligibility conditions, documents accompanying the application for state aid, and the Applicant's Guide can be found published on the APIA website: https://apia.org.ro/grant-direct-destinat-producatorilor-agricoli-din-domeniul-productiei-primare-de-produse-agricole-vegetale-ca-urmare-a-agresiunii-rusiei-impotriva-ucrainei/.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Beneficiaries of the scheme include:

• Individual agricultural producers
• Individual farmers, authorized natural persons, and family enterprises established according to the provisions of Government Emergency Ordinance no. 44/2008 on economic activities carried out by authorized natural persons, individual farmers, and family enterprises, approved with subsequent modifications and completions by Law no. 182/2016, with subsequent modifications and completions
• Legal entities engaged in agricultural production, regardless of their legal status or organizational form, agricultural companies organized in accordance with Law no. 36/1991 on agricultural companies and other forms of association in agriculture, with subsequent modifications and completions, companies regulated by Law no. 31/1990 on companies, republished, with subsequent modifications and completions, groups and organizations of producers recognized according to Government Ordinance no. 37/2005 on the recognition and functioning of groups and organizations of producers for the marketing of agricultural and forestry products, approved with subsequent modifications and completions by Law no. 338/2005, with subsequent modifications and completions, agricultural cooperatives organized according to the provisions of Law no. 566/2004 on agricultural cooperation, with subsequent modifications and completions.