Two programs intended to support farmers are not accessed by Botošan farmers. It is about the “Potato” and “Mangalita” programs through which those from the Ministry of Agriculture offer various amounts of money for those interested in getting involved in such activities. The information was made public on Thursday, during this month’s meeting of the Prefectural College, in a material presented by the Directorate for Agriculture.
Cristian Delibaș, the executive director of the Botoșani Department of Agriculture, says that local producers are not attracted by the two programs because of the amounts offered as de minimis aid, but also because of the conditions imposed. Thus, some producers fail to fully comply with the conditions stipulated in the programs.
For example, in potatoes, the total area cultivated in the county measures just over 6,000 hectares out of the over 211,000 hectares sown annually, which means less than 0.03 percent.
On the other hand, the de minimis aid for this crop is only 200 euros per hectare, i.e. around 1,000 lei. And for this they must cultivate at least 0.3 hectares, obtain a minimum of 15 tons per hectare, and sell at least 6 tons of the harvest by mid-November. Therefore, it would be too much trouble for an aid of only 1,000 lei. This is why until the beginning of this week, no request for the granting of de minimis aid had been registered.
“It’s not too late because applications can be submitted until May 20. It’s just that the number of requests has decreased from one year to the next. In the first year there were about 20 or so, the second year somewhere around 16, and now zero”, admitted Cristian Delibaș.
“In the county there is no tradition in raising these breeds of pigs”
Similarly, in the case of the Bazna or Mangalița program, intended for pig farms, those who apply must cumulatively meet several conditions, i.e. own registered and authorized holdings, have genetically certified specimens, sell at least 4 products per sow per year at a minimum weight of 8 kilograms per copy, maintain the sows and record the products. And for all this, breeders can receive 2,000 lei per sow, which seems quite a bit. “In the county there is no tradition in raising these breeds of pigs”, believes Cristian Delibaș, the executive director of the Botoșani Agricultural Directorate.
It is true, in the other de minimis programs run by the Ministry of Agriculture there are requests. Thus, in the “Tomato” program there are already 81 potential beneficiaries registered, for garlic 146 applicants, and for aid for beekeeping 418 potential beneficiaries, a sign that these crops are in demand in the county, and the soil in the county lends itself to them.
