Vas. Ypsilantis: “The advance payment of 50% of the compensations to our farmers for the disasters caused by the great fire of Rhodes demonstrates the interest of the Government” – 2024-04-03 04:22:18

According to the joint announcement of the Ministries of National Economy and Finance, the Ministry of Rural Development & Food and the Ministry of Climate Crisis & Civil Protection from March 27, 2024, the implementation of the framework to support agricultural holdings that suffered damage to plant means of production by the fires of the months of July, August and September 2023 in areas of the country, especially in Evros, Rhodes and Thessaly. In the context of the special procedure of Law 4797/2021 for state aid, which provides the possibility of subsidizing agricultural holdings for damage to plant means of production due to a natural disaster, the granting of the advance payment to agricultural holdings for damage to plant means of production is proceeding, such as tree crops or vines, from the 2023 summer fires.

In particular, on Tuesday, March 26, 2024, the Joint Ministerial Decision of the Minister of National Economy and Finance, the Minister of Rural Development and Food and the Deputy Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection was published (Government Gazette B’ 1891/26.03.2024), whereby an advance of 50% of the state aid is provided to the main occupation farmers and non-main occupation farmers, who suffered losses in plant means of production, such as olive trees or vines, from the fires of July, August and September 2023 in affected areas of the country.

Through the process of state aid, the total of the advances that will be paid to 905 beneficiaries by profession farmers for the damage to olive trees and other tree crops amounts to 10.42 million euros and concerns tree crops (olive trees and other trees), vines and aromatic plants. In addition, the total of the advances that will be paid to 1,204 beneficiary non-professional farmers for the damage to olive trees and other tree crops amounts to 5.25 million euros. In total, they are to be paid within the next few days

through ELGA 15.67 million euros to over 2,100 beneficiaries, whose plant capital was damaged by the fires of the summer of 2023.

In particular, 2,021,679 euros are to be paid to beneficiaries of the Regional Unit of Rhodes. It should be noted that the advance payment is equal to 50% of the final percentage of the eligible subsidy, which has been set at a maximum of 70% of the final assessment of the damage, which is the percentage of the subsidy paid to businesses affected by last summer’s fires in the context of state aid. Especially for non-occupational farmers the advance payment is half of the advance payment for occupational farmers.

Thus, with the special procedure established in the context of state aid, with the cooperation of the Ministry of National Economy and Finance, the Ministry of Rural Development and Food, the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, and, of course, ELGA, the Government is proceeding in the granting of a significant advance on the losses of tree crops, including olive crops, at times and heights far removed from what happened in the past. Thus, for farmers as their main occupation, the amount of the advance that will be granted within the next few days, amounts to 1,225 euros per hectare for vine and tree crops in a free planting pattern, to the amount of 1,750 euros per hectare for trees densely planted crops (palmettes) and at 700 euros per hectare for aromatic plants. According to the current process, the grant is for 70% of the initially estimated loss, which translates – at the end of the process – up to 3,500 euros per hectare for densely planted tree crops (palmets) damaged by the fire, depending with the severity of the damage. The Government, therefore, manages to respond to the needs of farmers in times less than what was done before taking over, and with amounts of compensation many times greater than those granted during the previous period.

It is pointed out that when the process of individual checks by the levels of the ELGA in the agricultural holdings in question is completed, the final subsidy amounts to the agricultural holdings will be determined for both the main occupation farmers and non-main occupation farmers, which they will be launched after the restoration, as will be provided by the next General Agreement.

This is before the completion of 8 months since the devastating fires, where 50% advances are given for damage to plant capital to those farmers affected by the fires of 2023. It is noted that in the past it took three and four years for compensation to be paid through the PSEAs. The Dean of the Parliament and Dodecanese Member of Parliament Vassilis A. Ypsilantis expressed his satisfaction with this development.