State aid is announced by KOAP

State aid will be paid to pig farmers, poultry farmers, cow breeders, and rabbit breeders, the Cyprus Agricultural Payments Organization (KOAP) announced on Monday, inviting potential beneficiaries to submit to the District Agricultural Offices the , as the case may be.

A press release of the KOAP states that following a relevant decision of the Council of Ministers regarding state aid to stockbreeders, state aid will be paid to pig farmers engaged in breeding and fattening farms, or only breeding, or only fattening, fattening laying hens, breeding hens and quails), cow breeders and rabbit breeders.

The aid is reportedly being paid under the temporary framework for state aid measures to support the economy during the current outbreak of the disease. COVID-19, based on a special plan which has been approved by the European Commission on 28 March 2022.

"The aid will be paid according to the data of responsible holdings and animal populations that will be forwarded to the KOAP by the Veterinary or other competent Services and provided that the conditions and eligibility criteria mentioned in the plan are met," says the KOAP.

It is pointed out that the payment of the aid will not require the submission of applications by the beneficiaries. Potential beneficiaries of the following categories, however, must submit to the Provincial Agricultural Offices of the Department of Agriculture no later than 06/04/2022, animal purchase invoices. Specifically, pig farmers with pig fattening farms should present purchase invoices for piglets for the period 1/9/2020 - 31/8/2021 and poultry farmers with poultry farms should provide the necessary invoices for the purchase of during the period 1/9/2020 - 31/8/2021.

KOAP informs those who do not wish to participate in the Plan, that they must declare it in writing, at the relevant District Office KOAP, no later than April 6, so as not to proceed with the payment of aid to them.

As for the per capita aid, in pig farming, it will not exceed 108 euros per sow for the cases of units that have reproduction and fattening. Holdings that have only reproduction or only fattening are also eligible for support, with the amount of aid varying depending on 1/6 (18 euros) for reproduction and 5/6 (90 euros) for fattening, it is reported.

In cow breeding, the aid will not exceed 35 euros per female animal over 2 years with a reference date of 1/9/2021, and 9 euros per male animal under 1 year and over 2 months with a reference date of 1 / 9/2021.

In poultry farming the meat production aid will not exceed 0,38 euros per chick placed for a batch, the egg production aid will not exceed 0,54 euros per active position with reference date 1/1/2021, the reproduction aid will not exceed 0,81 euros per active position with a reference date of 1/1/2021 while the aid of quail farms will not exceed 0,09 euros per active position with a reference date of 1/1/2021.

As far as rabbit farming is concerned, the aid will not exceed 2,80 euros per rabbit mother with a reference date of 1/1/2021.

It is stated that the total aid per beneficiary for the categories of pig and poultry can not exceed 125.000 euros.

The details of the implementation of the plan are described in the Implementation Manual - Beneficiary Information for the Livestock Sector Support Plan, which can be found on the website of the Agricultural Payments Organization at www.capo.gov.cy, as well as at the District Offices of KOAP, is added.

KYPE source