Applications for participation in the second stage can be submitted until January 31.
It is important to provide assistance to micro- and small producers of agricultural products, especially in times of war. After all, it is farmers who fill the local market and make a significant contribution to ensuring the country’s food security.
Therefore, as noted today, January 8, during a briefing in the Lviv OVA, Lviv oblast farmers can receive grants within the framework of the FAO investment program “Complex, competitive and economically rational creation of value added chains in agriculture, fisheries and forestry”.
The project is being implemented with the support of the Lviv OVA, in particular the Department of Agro-Industrial Development.
“Agrarians of the region can receive financial support in the following sectors: vegetable growing, berry growing, aquaculture, production and processing of milk. The goal of the project is to support small producers with investment funds to increase their productivity, production efficiency and profitability. One of the priorities of the program is to attract young people and women to production in rural areas. Achieving the goal of the program occurs not only through the provision of grants, but also through training for producers, consulting assistance on business development, agronomy, and the issue of forming applications for receiving a grant,” said Lyudmila Goncharenko, deputy director of the department of agro-industrial development of Lviv OVA.
As she noted, grants can be used not only by registered producers-legal entities and natural persons-entrepreneurs, but also by natural persons who produce agricultural products and are registered in the State Agrarian Register. Investment grants are sent to the accounts of the beneficiaries.
The first stage of the grant program is currently being completed.
The first grant period made it possible to receive grant assistance in three areas – the production of berries, vegetables, and in the aquaculture sector. 45 manufacturers from Lviv Oblast received the right to receive grants, the amount of grants ranged from 10 to 25 thousand dollars, and the total amount of grants used by Lviv Oblast manufacturers amounted to UAH 27 million.
For the most part, farmers invested in the purchase of agricultural machinery, special equipment for production or storage of products. Also, many grants were directed to the purchase of solar panels in order to switch to alternative forms of energy.
For the second stage, the terms of the program have been expanded. Therefore, in addition to the above-mentioned industries, grants can be received by producers who produce milk or process it. Applications can be submitted until January 31.
As the Head of the FAO office in Lviv, Hanna Antonyuk, emphasized, the program is built on co-financing – applicants also contribute their own funds to their grant application.
For aquaculture vegetables and milk – a small applicant applying for a grant of up to 10,000 dollars or 370,000 UAH makes his own contribution in the amount of 20%, a large applicant (up to 25,000 dollars, 925,000 UAH) – 30%.
More about the terms of submission in the video and at the link.
The schedule of webinars in terms of value chains to acquaint potential applicants with the terms of participation in the program: