The first payment phase of the programme is completed: Establishment of New Farmers, enabling producers participating in this programme to start immediately the implementation of their business plans.

"The digital transformation of the services of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development was the key to the quick and smooth completion of the Programme" said the Deputy Minister Rural Development and Food , George Stylios adding that "it allowed us to reduce bureaucracy, enhance the transparency of the process and speed up the evaluation of proposals".

An important role in the digital transformation of the said Program was the use for the first time of the "electronic file". An innovation that "allowed 9 out of 10 supporting documents required for participation in the Program to be collected digitally. Facilitating both citizens and proposal evaluators. As a result, the entire evaluation was completed in just 6 months", as pointed out by Mr. Stilios.

The payments of the first phase of the Program have already started since the second ten days of August. The beginning was made with Frcredit 223.3 million euros to the beneficiaries of the Regions:

Epirus

Thessaly

of Western Macedonia

Mainland Greece

Of Western Greece

Central Macedonia

Crete

Eastern Macedonia and Thrace

Then the payment of 4 million was made. euros to the 149 beneficiaries of the Region of the Ionian Islands.

The 2,128 beneficiary young farmers from the four remaining regions of the country (Attica, North Aegean, Peloponnese and South Aegean) are next in line to receive the first installment of the aid they are entitled to, by the end of September, totaling 64.82 million. euro.

Specifically, the number of beneficiaries and the amounts of payments per region are as follows:

• Attica: 131 beneficiaries will receive 3.439 million euros
• North Aegean: 668 beneficiaries will receive 17.577 million euros
• South Aegean: 230 beneficiaries will receive 6.037 million euros
• Peloponnese: 1,099 beneficiaries will receive 37.767 million euros

Note that the current Programme: Establishment of Young Farmers, which is now completing its first phase, is the largest, both in terms of the number of available funds and beneficiaries, that has been announced in our country to date. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management (MPAAT) manages total resources of 525 million euros for the premium of 14,000 young people -under the age of 41- to enter the primary sector professionally and establish their own agricultural enterprise.

The premium for those who join the Programme Establishment of New Farmers was enhanced, as ranges from 35,000 to 40,000 euros. How much the beneficiaries will receive in two doses. The first arrives at70% of the total amount is given in advance - the current payments concern this first installment - while the second, which corresponds in the remaining 30%, it is paid with completion of their investment plan.