EU turns on funding taps as first direct farm subsidies begin to flow

According to the Agency for Restructuring and Modernization of Agriculture (ARiMR) the subsidies will encompass 95% of the domestic plough, making it a new EU record. The agency disclosed that zł.31 million was transferred to 5,400 farmers' accounts on Monday. Agriculture Minister Wojciech Olejniczak announced that all transfers will be completed by the end of January 2005. A total of zł.8 billion will be handed over to domestic farmers. Most of the subsidies amount to zł.503 per each hectare of plough. (Gazeta Wyborcza, p. 1) A.K.