This article is part of a series dedicated to share the measure taken by AREPO member Regions to face the negative effects of covid-19 on agri-food sector. In this difficult and unprecedented moments, AREPO wants to support its members facilitating exchanges and cooperation. If you want to share the good practices of your Region, please write an email to info@arepoquality.eu
The Regional Council of the Emilia-Romagna Region has launched a package of measures aimed at supporting agricultural enterprises in the Coronavirus-related emergency.
Liquidity and extension of deadlines
The measures approved concern, on the one hand, the advance of certain payments to ensure greater liquidity for businesses in these difficult times and, on the other, greater flexibility in meeting scheduled deadlines.
Specifically, first of all, the Emilia-Romagna Region has published a €12.6 million call for proposals for compensatory allowances for mountain farms and livestock farms with disadvantages and negative repercussions on productive activity.
The Region has also intervened through Agrea (Regional Agency for Agricultural Payments), paying in less than a month more than 55 million euros to the beneficiaries of various funding channels (Single Application, CMO and PSR).
In addition, simplified administrative procedures were adopted for the allocation of subsidised agricultural fuel (also made possible online) and various deadlines concerning the wine sector were extended.
Furthermore, the Regional Council adopted a package of additional measures including:
- A call for more than €15 million for the conversion of vineyards and support for investments made by wineries in technical and varietal innovation and improvement of wine quality;
- the acceleration and advance payment of subsidies, in particular for the RDP calls on supply chain projects, energy production from renewable sources and social agriculture, and for the wine CMO call launched in 2019 on investments in wineries;
- and the postponement/shift of certain bureaucratic requirements linked to various regional calls, such as the extension of payment application deadlines or deadlines for various RDP calls.
Tackling seasonal labour shortages
In order to ensure adequate food supplies to the population and to avoid a drastic slowdown in production activity in the face of the shortage of seasonal labour caused by Covid-19, the Emilia-Romagna Region has made available its network of 38 Employment Centres, which report to the Regional Employment Agency. The Centres will have to help agricultural enterprises to quickly recruit the necessary professional figures to carry out work in the fields and livestock farms in the coming weeks and months, in full compliance with the safety conditions imposed by the Coronavirus emergency.
Wefrood: a digital platform that connects producers and consumers
In order to help small fruit and vegetable producers not to remain isolated, the Region is promoting the Wefrood digital platform. It is an app, developed by the Emilian company C2b4food, which helps small producers to make themselves known and consumers to find fresh products. By connecting producer and consumer, the app is a useful tool to buy fresh fruit and vegetables while staying at home.
For more information:
Covid-19: aiutiamo i piccoli produttori di frutta e verdura a non rimanere isolati (21 March 2020) (IT)
Coronavirus. La Regione a sostegno dell'agricoltura con semplificazioni e fondi (23 March 2020) (IT)
Coronavirus. La Regione sostiene l'agricoltura dell'Emilia-Romagna (25 March 2020) (IT)
Coronavirus. Dalla Regione un nuovo pacchetto di misure per sostenere l'agricoltura (7 Avril 2020) (IT)
Agricoltura. La Regione mette in campo la rete dei Centri per l'impiego contro la carenza di manodopera stagionale (11 Avril 2020) (IT)
