Speaking at today's press conference, the first since assuming his duties as Commissioner for Agricultural Payments, Mr. Efthymiou said that the Organization since its inception to date has provided amounts in excess of 1 billion 318 million and only in the last two years subsidies it has granted exceed 175 million, adding that with the assumption of the presidency by the new Government the rural development program is back in operation and the amounts granted to date from March 1, 2013 have exceeded € 220 million.
He noted that in the framework of the Common Agricultural Policy, Cyprus has managed to secure approximately the amount of € 245 million for the purposes of the Rural Development Program that will be implemented from 2015 to 2020.
The Commissioner also said that for the same period Cyprus has secured, in the form of Direct Aid, an amount in excess of € 300 million, while in total by 2020, amounts will be allocated to the rural world in excess of € 545 million.
He also said that the concession of hectare subsidies will begin in January 2016 and will continue until March 2016, with the concession of about € 50 million to about 34.000 farmers.
During the same period, according to Mr. Efthymiou, subsidies for disadvantaged areas will be granted, which, as I mentioned above, concerns about 28,000 farmers who will receive approximately € 8,5 million.
The above planning, he continued, is expected to improve in the coming years and the reason that this year the Agency is not able to grant the grants earlier is the fact of the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy which brought about a series of changes in the chapter of Direct Payments. .
Regarding the head subsidies, ie the subsidies for sheep and goat breeding and sheep and goat milk production, which concern about 3.000 breeders, Mr. Efthymiou said that KOAP is studying some issues that have arisen from the recent bilateral meeting of the Organization with its Auditing Authorities. European Commission and efforts are being made to start their concession at the end of this month and will be paid to all within January 2016, with the total amount to be conferred amounting to approximately € 3,5 million.
In relation to the debate on the independence or not of the Agricultural Payments Organization, Mr. Efthymiou said that the decision of the current Government (but also of all the parties in the country), is as the Organization remains independent, away from any expediencies or entanglements and unaffected by interventions of any kind and added that regarding the removal of the contractors, the Agency is in close cooperation with all contractors and the removal of a number of contractors is planned, always in cooperation with the competent bodies, while the contract has already been removed. contract in about 20 meters.
Source: KYPE