€1.86m granted to small farms in Croatia

Pernat, Croatia

ZAGREB, July 18 (Hina) – The Ministry of Agriculture has granted nearly HRK 14 million (€1.86m) ) to 232 small farms as part of a programme to finance local infrastructure and rural development projects in areas inhabited by ethnic minorities, the ministry said in a statement on Friday.

This will help their transition to market-oriented production, sustainable development and increasing revenues, the statement said.

The Croatian government is implementing national measures to achieve balanced development of all areas of the country for the 2016-2020 period by providing financial support to ensure the minimum standard of utility and social infrastructure.

This includes financial instruments and grants to businesses and family farms that cannot participate in the existing credit lines in areas affected by the 1991-1995 war and areas traditionally inhabited by ethnic minorities, and which areas have been economically and socially weakened and are considerably below the national development average, the statement said.

Funding has been approved for beneficiaries from 15 counties, with the most projects approved in Bjelovar-Bilogora County and Sisak-Moslavina County (34 projects each). The total value of the projects is HRK 2.04 million (€271,000).

Since a large number of small farms has shown an interest in increasing production or modernising their business, efforts will be made to secure additional funds under this tender, the ministry said.