The government announced on Tuesday the creation of a €15 million financial aid package to help the agricultural sector modernize equipment and infrastructure, reduce energy costs, and strengthen sustainability.
The measure is aimed at investments in equipment and infrastructure for energy efficiency, energy production and storage in the agricultural sector, and the funding is provided by the Environmental Fund and administered by the Institute for Financing Agriculture and Fisheries (IFAP).
In a statement, the ministries of the Environment and Agriculture detail that the support is directed at agricultural and farming producers, cooperatives, associations, producer organizations and irrigation associations, “aiming at the modernization of farms, the reduction of energy consumption, the decrease of greenhouse gas emissions and the strengthening of the use of energy from renewable sources.”
The funding is granted as a non-repayable grant, through reimbursement of the investments made, and can cover up to 100% of the amount supported. Applications will be made on the IFAP portal, with terms and dates yet to be defined in a notice to be published on the Environmental Fund’s website.
“This measure embodies a clear commitment to energy efficiency as a driver of competitiveness and environmental sustainability for Portuguese agriculture, while at the same time contributing to the achievement of national climate and energy objectives,” says Maria da Graça Carvalho, Minister for the Environment and Energy.
For his part, José Manuel Fernandes, Minister of Agriculture and the Sea, states that “we are supporting investments that contribute to a more modern agriculture, the sector’s competitiveness, the reduction of energy costs and the improvement of farmers’ incomes.”
In a note, the Government states that, with this support, it strengthens “the coordination between environmental, energy and agricultural policies, promoting an efficient and sustainable energy transition in the agricultural sector.”
