EU to spend EUR 2.5bn on small farms in Poland: EU commissioner

Hogan took part in a debate on sustainable rural development held during the European Agricultural Forum taking place in Jasionka, southeastern Poland. The event was attended by Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and the head of the Polish People’s Party Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz.

Hogan said that European “farmers need to be part and parcel of integrating the sustainability agenda in agriculture.”

He added, “This is what our consumers are looking for: sustainability at the heart of production and processing. And agriculture has to play its part, or otherwise we’re are not going to have the market share for a high-quality food and drink products in the future if we don’t adhere to these particular concerns of the consumers.”

In his address, Morawiecki said that the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy for the years 2021-2027 requires reform. He added that one of the changes that needs to be made is greater support for the smallest farms offering higher-quality food.

He said: “Farms with a cultivation area below 15 hectares account for 85 percent of all farms in Poland.”

Morawiecki added that is why the Polish government is interested in placing greater emphasis on these producers. He said: “they find it harder to get by on the market and, at the same time, they stand a chance of having a specialised agricultural production.”

(aba)

Source: IAR