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IPARD IN 2020 - WHAT CAN WE EXPECT?

29. January 2020.

The Ministry of Agriculture plans to announce five public calls from the EU IPARD assistance program this year. The incentives amount to around 57.6 million euros.  

The first call will be for rural tourism and should be published in March, while the point at issue is a measure of "Diversification of Agricultural Holdings and Business Development", which Brussels has not yet approved and for which Serbia is awaiting accreditation, but the authorities assure that the European Commission might soon give the “green light.” Support from the IPARD Fund under this measure, worth over one billion dinars, will be available for the construction and improvement of facilities for rural tourism, the purchase of new equipment and furniture, the construction, reconstruction and equipping of facilities for the provision of tourist and catering services.

The next call refers to technical assistance to the domestic administration in the implementation of that European program, for which more than 53 million dinars has been allocated, while the point at issue is also the IPARD measure that Serbia has not had so far.

Farmers, cooperatives and small and medium-sized agricultural enterprises will be able to count on another call from the IPARD for tractors, worth around 620 million dinars, followed by a call from the same measure, which is intended for the construction of storage capacities, farms, greenhouses, the growing and equipping of orchards and vineyards, which is worth close to two and a half billion dinars.

Most of the funds will be earmarked for a measure related to the construction and equipping of the facilities for processing fruits, vegetables, meat, milk, eggs and grapes - more than two and a half billion dinars, while dairies, butchers, slaughterhouses, wineries and producers of jams and juices will be able to apply for that financial support.

The IPARD 2 program in Serbia for the 2014-2020 period is intended for agricultural holdings, agricultural cooperatives, small and medium-sized enterprises and entrepreneurs. The EU provided  175 million euros in grants for them, while Serbia provided a 25% portion of those funds from the national budget.

The principle is that the investment is fully funded by the beneficiaries of the program, usually with the assistance of banks or funds, while upon completion of the investment from the IPARD fund, 50 to 70% of that amount is returned to them. So far, seven public calls worth around 130 million euros have been issued and closed under the IPARD program, and according to the statements of the competent authorities, about five million euros have been paid into the accounts of those who realized the investments by the end of 2019.

The call for investments in the processing sector, for the construction and equipping of facilities for processing meat, milk, fruits, vegetables, eggs and grapes is underway and it will last until February 24.

Source: Agro News and Coordination Body