The Regional Secretariat for Agriculture and Forestry, through the Regional Directorate for Rural Development, has paid 700 thousand Euros under programmes to support agricultural and forestry modernisation over the first six months of this year some, covering more than 900 beneficiaries.
 
These payments, made up to June 22, benefited farmers on the nine islands of the Azores, a situation that greatly contributes to the increase of their liquidity.
 
Under the Support Programme for Agricultural Modernisation (PROAMA), there were 558 beneficiaries, representing more than 400 thousand Euros of aid paid.
 
With regard to the Support Programme for Agricultural and Forest Modernisation (PROAMAF), the 384 beneficiaries received, overall, more than 275 thousand Euros.
 
Both programmes are intended to allocate funds to support farmers who wish to invest in equipment, innovation as well as in the supply of electricity and water to farms. These changes are the result of a consultation carried out by this department to agricultural associations from various islands of the archipelago.
 
Eligible equipment and operations include the purchase of mobile mangers, automatic washing machines for milking machines, solar panels, agricultural management software or milk tanks, among others.
 
According to the new rules, whose order was published in May in the Official Journal, farmers and forest producers who wish to benefit from PROAMAF funds must have gross income of, at least, 5,000 Euros from agricultural activity in the calendar year prior the submission of the application.
 
Instead of support, farmers are starting to apply to an incentive in order to avoid the so-called "Minimis Rule," which prevents a producer from benefiting from state aid over 15 thousand Euros for three consecutive years.
 
This was one of the claims made by the sector to which the Regional Government has paid attention.
 
Applications for PROAMA and PROAMAF are submitted annually, from January to September, and each beneficiary may submit one application per year.