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Romania benefits from 21.5 million euros for National Beekeeping Programme 2017-2019
Romania benefits from a budget of 21.5 million euros for the National Beekeeping Programme over 2017-2019, on the rise by 7.2% compared to the amount allocated over 2015-2016, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development announced on Wednesday.
“The European Commission participates in financing the programme by 50% of expenses made in Romania for every action accessed and the financial support allocated for 2017-2019 is 21,508,480 euros compared to 20,045,340 euros over 2014-2016. The annual budget for Beekeeping programmed notified by member states went up to 36 million euros and Romania benefits from a budget increase of 1,463,140 euros for the beekeeping programme of 2017-2019,” a Ministry press release shows.
According to the source, the overall amount allocated to Romania is as follows: for 2017 - 7,169,494 euros (3,584,747 euros EU budget/ 3,584,747 euros national budget); for 2018 - 7,169,498 euros ((3,584,749 euros EU budget/ 3,584,749 euros national budget); for 2019 - 7,169,488 euros ((3,584,744 euros EU budget/ 3,584,744 euros national budget).
Accessing measures and presenting files at APIA in order to request financial support can be done directly by the beekeeper or by means of the associative form.
“In order to apply the financial support measures provided for 2017-2019, a government decision will approve the National Beekeeping Programme for 2017-2019, as well as application norms and the value of the financial support. Consultations will be held with representatives of associative forms in the beekeeping sector, of the Agency for Payments and Interventions for Agriculture, of the National Sanitary Veterinary Authority and the National Agency for Animal Husbandry,” MARD mentioned.
The European Commission presented the Decision for Implementation for the approval of National Beekeeping Programs for 2017-2019 on June 23, 2016, at the 183rd meeting of the Committee for Joint Organization of Beekeeping Markets - products of animal origin (chicken meat, eggs, lamb meat and honey).
The National Beekeeping Porgramme (2017-2019) is addressed both to beekeepers with up to 75 bee families and those with over 75 bee families and has in view measures like purchases of medicines, bee families, queen bees or equipment for beekeepers.
By mid June, Romanian beekeepers requested the support of the Ministry of Agriculture to be able to cope with the “desperate situation” of 2016, in which excessive rains and unfavorable weather significantly reduced honey production and affected bee families. They say that 2016 will be a “disastrous year”, one of the poorest in the last 30 years.
Achim Irimescu, the minister of agriculture, confirmed the difficult situation beekeepers go through and announced he was preparing financial aid for that sector.
Statistic data show that Romanians consume an average of 450-500 grams of honey per year per capita, on the rise compared to 10 years ago, but very low compared to 2 kg consumed in Germany or 1.5 kg in Holland and Belgium.
Romania produces 22,000 tons of honey annually, on the average, ranking fourth in Europe, and has 1.47 million bee families.