TIRANA, Sept 24 /ATA/ The Agricultural and Rural Development Agency (ARDA) is finalizing the contracts that will be financed under the IPARDII program.
The director of ARDA, Eranda Selmanaj, said that, “we are currently closing the contracting of investments in agriculture and agritourism, which will be funded through 50% of the grant value under the IPARDII program.”
At a media briefing, Selmanaj said that, “IPARDII is the largest financial program that supports agriculture in our country and contributes to increasing standards and aligning them with those of the EU.”
“In three calls for applications in the IPARD II Program, over 400 investment contracts were signed at a total value of projects injected into the Albanian economy of almost 170 million euros. Of which 75% of this funding was extended by the EU and the rest by the Albanian government,” according to Selmanaj.
She said that IPARDIII has already been approved with a budget 55% higher than IPARDII and we will have a budget worth 146 million euros, which will be allocated to the rural economy.
“We are talking about investments in livestock farms, agriculture, fisheries, vineyards, olive that is introduced for the first time, also the processing of all these products, rural tourism and all businesses related to rural sports, handicrafts, manufacturing and measures for environmental protection, organic farms and a new measure, advisory structures, are some of the areas that IPARDIII will support,” said Selmanaj.
“At the beginning of 2023, we will open the first call of IPARDIII,” Selmanaj said.
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