Skopje, 7 November 2022 (MIA) – Procurement of beekeeping equipment, solar dryer for fruits and vegetables, processing machines, cold storage, equipment for farms and wineries, are only a part of the applications by the women farmers who received grant contracts worth EUR 6.000 on Monday. A total of 132 women applied for the grant, while 70 of them met the requirements. At the grant signing ceremony, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Economy, Ljupcho Nikolovski said that the women farmers can use the funds from the grant to buy winemaking equipment, fodder production lines, equipment for the production of honey and bee products, mill equipment, cheese molds and meat processing and grinding machines. By doing so, he said, they will be able to develop new products, new brands, and thus add value to the domestic economy and the rural areas. “With this second public call, we gave priority to women farmers for whom agriculture is a main job. Most of the applications are for the procurement of farm and winery equipment, honey production, processing and drying of fruit and vegetables. I am especially pleased that there are applications for the purchase of solar dryers, which, considering the current energy crisis, are a really modern solution,” said Nikolovski. The Minister stated that the first public call was realized in 2021, with 250 grant contracts worth 3.000 euro being awarded to women agricultural producers. He added that the high interest and success of the first public call motivated the Ministry to double the support in the second call, from EUR 3.000 to EUR 6.000. “The new Program in support of small food producers enables a grant of up to 10.000 euro for the procurement of equipment for production and sales, which is expected to encourage the development of 2.000 new producers. This is the first time we are introducing the program and it represents direct aid to farmers who want to place their products on the market. Women farmers are also able to apply to the new business plan measure from the Program on Rural Development. Additionally, for small-scale farmers, the new subsidy model envisages support of up to 40.000 denars without requiring them to hand over the products,” said Nikolovski. The grant contracts were awarded by Minister Nikolovski, State Secretary Rexhail Ismaili and the head of the Agency for Financial Support of Agriculture and Rural Development, Nikica Bachovski. The message they sent to rural women was to continue to be brave, to have business ideas and to apply, while the institutions will once again fulfil their promises. ad/ba/