TIRANA (Albania), November 5 (SeeNews) –Albania's agriculture ministry will open the first call for applications for funding under the EU-backed Instrument for Pre-accession for Rural Development (IPARD II) programme on November 30, agriculture minister Niko Peleshi said on Monday.
The Albanian government and the EU will co-finance the programme through a 94 million euro ($107 million) fund, Peleshi said in a video file posted on his Facebook page.
The deadline for submitting applications is January 30, 2019.
The programme will cover three areas: investments in physical assets of agricultural holdings, investments in physical assets concerning processing and marketing of agricultural and fishery products, and farm diversification and business development.
The European Commission has given the green light to the implementation of IPARD II programme in Albania, the EU delegation to the country said last month.
The EU will provide 71 million euro, while the Albanian government will contribute 23 million euro to the programme that will offer direct financial assistance to farmers and will support rural development, the delegation said in a statement.
“I strongly encourage farmers and agribusinesses to be proactive, seize the opportunities created by the IPARD II funds and apply for financial support," the EU ambassador to Albania Luigi Soreca said in the statement.
IPARD aims to provide assistance for the implementation of the acquis concerning the Common Agricultural Policy and to contribute to the sustainable adaptation of the agricultural sector and rural areas in the candidate country.
Albania became a candidate country for EU membership in June 2014.
($ = 0.87790 euro)