From November and until December, the approvals of files for the 2021 Improvement Plans will begin to be issued gradually by Region, with a new invitation to be expected within 2025, according to what emerged during the meeting of SEAM representatives with the Deputy Minister of Agriculture Development, Dionysis Stamenitis, which took place last Monday, October 16.
With regard to the issue of approval decisions from the Deputy Minister’s side, there was a commitment that all decisions will be issued by the end of the year, while the Regions of Macedonia are more ready in terms of evaluation, where their publication is expected to begin in November. Regarding the funds, apart from the fact that the 32 million euros needed to cover all the approved files in Thessaly will be found, however, the scope for further overcommitment beyond the plus 50 million euros that will bring the total budget at 230 million euros.
It is recalled that 6,901 support applications were submitted for the Improvement Plan with a total budget of proposed investments of 704 million euros and a requested public expenditure of approximately 403 million euros. Most applications were made in North Macedonia (1,270), Peloponnese (805), Crete (776), Western Greece (696), Central Greece (676) and Thessaly (601).
At the same time, SEAM brought to the attention of the deputy minister, the constant problems faced by the agricultural machinery sector, such as the problematic system of inventory and deletion of agricultural tractors, their regular control by certified craftsmen, the gap that exists in training, the complete lack of auditors mechanisms, the absence of a national withdrawal program, for which the Association has repeatedly submitted specific proposals for their resolution.
Source: www.agronews.gr
