New amounts of aid to fruit and vegetable producer organisations for environmental practices
The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has announced new maximum amounts for Fruit and Vegetable Producers’ Organisations (FVPOs) under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) 2023-2027. These resources are intended to support environmental practices in the context of the operational programmes of these organisations.
In an effort to provide more options for FVPOs to adopt environmental measures, the ministry incorporated in the 2022 royal decree on operational funds and programmes an additional series of actions and their respective amounts. The current CAP 2023-2027 regulations establish a 15% increase in operational programme expenditure for interventions related to environmental objectives, including three or more specific actions.
In order to adapt the values to the current reality, the assisted measures have been revised, adjusting amounts calculated five years ago. Among the updates, the increase of the envelope for solarisation and bio-solarisation techniques, the inclusion of crops such as blueberries and fig trees in the biological control practices, and the financial support for alternative methods of soil disinfection or cultivation chambers stand out.
The new amounts will also support the use of micro-organisms to improve nutrient uptake, strategies to support abiotic stress response and measures to increase the presence of pollinators on farms.
New guidelines
In addition, the ministry has published revised national guidelines for environmental and climate interventions in the fruit and vegetable sector. These guidelines detail the actions that require justification by invoices, such as the use of endangered or drought-resistant varieties. They also specify the justification for each environmental practice, the commitments of the beneficiary, the maximum amount of the payment and the documents needed to support the implementation of these measures.
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