Generational renewal and innovation: new resources for agriculture

A total investment of 12 million euros. The Friuli Venezia Giulia Region has therefore decided to grant low-interest loans to support the purchase of land by young farmers, to be used for the production of agricultural produce. Specifically, the funding is provided through the Regional Revolving Fund for Agriculture, with a contribution of over 4 million from the EAFRD, to support investments aimed at facilitating generational renewal in agriculture, the creation of new agricultural businesses run by young people, and an increase in their average farm size.

This was announced by Stefano Zannier, Councillor for Agri-Food, Forestry and Fisheries Resources, following the Regional Executive’s approval of the call for applications for the scheme “SRD16 – FVG Financial Instrument – Agricultural Productive Investments for the Competitiveness of Agricultural Holdings’ under the Rural Development Complement (CSR) of the Autonomous Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia to the 2023–2027 CAP Strategic Plan.

The requirements for beneficiaries are as follows: to be registered in the Companies Register and, in the case of co-operative enterprises, to also be registered in the regional register of co-operatives; to fall within the definition of micro-enterprises, small or medium-sized enterprises; to have at least one active operational unit located within the region for the production of agricultural products; to be in full possession of their legal rights, not to be in voluntary liquidation and/or subject to insolvency proceedings, nor to meet the conditions laid down by national law for the initiation of such proceedings against them at the request of creditors; not be an enterprise in difficulty.

The selection of the final beneficiaries, i.e. the borrowers, will take place in accordance with the procedures laid down in the financial instrument, through first-come, first-served procedures organised by the Fund, subject to a creditworthiness check by the participating banks.

“The maximum aid intensity that can be granted is 65 per cent of eligible expenditure,” explains Zannier. “The total amount of aid granted to a single undertaking may not exceed 300,000 euros per investment project. The minimum duration of the funding is five years, whilst the maximum is twenty years.”