VILNIUS - Lithuanian farmers now have less than a month to apply for EU assistance, and those failing to submit applications in time will lose entitlement to direct subsidies. Should this happen, a significant part of 623.4 million litas (180.7 million euros) earmarked for 2004 EU and Lithuanian budget funds may remain untapped.
So far only some 20 percent of potential assistance recipients have applied for the subsidies, the Agriculture Ministry reported.
Data from the agricultural information and rural business center shows that over 250,000 people are entitled to EU support.
"Farmers are rather passive. Although the time is pressing, as the term to apply for direct subsidies will expire on June 1, they are not rushing to local authority institutions," said Minister of Agriculture Jeronimas Kraujelis.
"We may find ourselves in a situation where a significant number of farmers will fail to submit the applications and receive direct subsidies," he said.
Also the failure to declare proper agrarian state land areas will lead to the loss of EU subsidies in the future. Landowners not currently engaged in agricultural production should also declare crops in 2004.
Lithuania has 2.3 million hectares of agrarian state land.
In 2004 domestic farmers will receive an advance payment covering approximately half the total amount of direct subsidies, with the remaining sum to be paid in 2005.
Subsidies for agricultural land entitled to EU assistance - crops, fodder mixtures, rape, legumes, potatoes for processing, fallow - will reach 30 litas per hectare.
Meanwhile, plants not entitled for assistance - fodder root crops, potatoes, vegetables, gardens, berry fields - may hope for the basic subsidy of 123 litas per hectare. An identical rate will be applied to meadows, pastures and fields with perennial weeds.
