The IPARD programme is well-known among farmers in Serbia, as approximately 1300 farmers have utilised non-refundable funds for rural development provided by the European Union so far. Now, new opportunities lie ahead as the First public call for Measure 1 of the third cycle of the IPARD programme has been announced, open until May 24th this year. Applicants can qualify for incentives ranging from 20,000 euros to one million euros per application.

This current competition is specifically for farmers planning to invest in physical assets, such as construction and equipping of facilities on farms, or those looking to establish new, long-term fruit orchards or renovate existing ones.

The sectors covered include dairy, meat, fruits, vegetables, cereals, industrial crops, grapes, eggs, and fisheries.

This is the First public call, indicating that farmers engaged in these branches can expect more open calls in the future.

A total of RSD 4.8 billion are allocated for this public call. The incentive amount ranges from 60% to 75% of eligible investment costs, depending on whether the applicant is a young farmer, a certified organic product producer, whether the farm is in a mountainous area, or if the investment is related to waste and wastewater management, as well as the production and storage of energy from renewable sources.

Regardless of the overall value of the investment, a user can qualify for IPARD incentives with a minimum nominal amount of EUR 20,000 and a maximum nominal amount of EUR 1,000,000 per application.

 

This call is related to Measure 1 of the IPARD 3 programme (2021-2027). For the entire seven-year cycle, the EU has allocated EUR 288 million, which, with the contribution of the Republic of Serbia and the private contribution of users, will provide over EUR 580 million for the agriculture and rural development sector.

IPARD 3 also includes Measures 3 and 7, while Measures 4, 5, and 6 are in preparation. More information about them can be found on the website of the Directorate for Agricultural Payments, a body of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Water Management responsible for implementing the IPARD program.

Additionally, the European Union supported the agricultural sector by more than 150 million EUR before the IPARD II programme started with an allocation of EUR 175 million of EU support. The following IPARD III programme will bring more opportunities to Serbian farmers and will disburse further EUR 288 mil. of EU support. The main goals of the support under IPARD is to increase the competitiveness of the Serbian farmers, preserve environment and biodiversity, support rural businesses and communities and development of rural infrastructure.

For any questions regarding this call, you can contact the Directorate Agricultural Payments via email at ipard.info@minpolj.gov.rs or by phone +381 11 31 07