FINANCING SMALL FARMERS THROUGH THE AGRICULTURAL POLICY OF THE EU 2014-2020: A CASE STUDY

Abstract

The National Rural Development Program (NRDP) 2014-2020 was adapted to the everyday realities of rural areas, supporting the association of farmers in agricultural cooperatives through specific information, consultancy, and professional training activities, to encourage the establishment, organization, and operation of efficient, competitive, and associative organizations in the agricultural field, as well as the financing of investments made by cooperatives related to ensuring cooperation between producers through the promotion of investments in common, more efficient and profitable facilities, such as equipment, infrastructure, etc. Through the NRDP, cooperatives are encouraged and prioritized in making investments for development and in the interest of their members. In this paper, the authors present a case study, namely the establishment of an alfalfa processing and pellet sale unit, used in animal feed by an agricultural cooperative in Arad County, Romania. The case study represents the partial results of a doctoral thesis titled “Analysis of the implementation of the National Rural Development Program (NRDP) 2014-2020 in the Western Region and proposals for improving the implementation of measures in the next financial year.”