The Regional Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development of the Andalusian Regional Government has opened the application period for the call for aid to support tangible and intangible investments in processing, marketing or development of new agricultural products in the olive grove sector. These subsidies have a budget of 20 million euros to be allocated to projects linked to the production of both olive oil and table olives.
The ultimate aim of this aid is to help increase the competitiveness of the Andalusian olive sector and to increase the added value of agricultural production. They also respond to challenges facing the sector, such as specialisation, an increase in the size of companies, further progress in internationalisation, greater energy efficiency and greater visibility for both women and young people.
This call for aid facilitates the technological improvement of the handling and transformation processes of agricultural products and their marketing channels. Among the concepts that appear as eligible for subsidies are measures aimed at adapting products to new market trends, improving the use of by-products, as well as promoting diversification and boosting water and energy efficiency.
The deadline for submitting applications for this call for aid for the olive agribusiness began on 27 December, one day after its publication in the Official Gazette of the Andalusian Regional Government (BOJA) and will remain open for two months. Natural or legal persons from the olive sector, considered as small and medium-sized companies, as well as large companies that carry out and assume the activities of transformation, commercialisation or development of agricultural products or agricultural by-products, may apply.
The Regional Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development, Carmen Crespo, has highlighted the value of this aid as «fundamental for the olive agro-industry to continue gaining importance». Crespo recalled that «the olive grove is the main crop in the Andalusian autonomous region, and therefore strategic for the Andalusian economy». The Councillor reminded that, once the one-month period of public information has expired, the 1st Strategy for the Andalusian Olive Sector is now in the phase of presentation of allegations».