Polish farmers with PLN 13 bln in direct payment from EU last year

Polish farmers received PLN 13 billion in direct payments last year under the EU Common Agriculture Policy program. That figure amounts for 88 percent of all funds allocated for that purpose, Polish agriculture ministry said. As many as 1.2 million farmers received the money, which is 89 percent of all applicants. “For the 2016 financial framework, 1.351 million farmers applied for the payments. The full amount allocated for that purpose stood at PLN 14.8 billion,” the ministry said. Under the EU's Common Agriculture Program, direct payments are granted to farmers in the form of a per-hectare basic income support, complemented by a series of other supports targeting specific objectives or types of farmers. They are meant to provide a safety net acting as a buffer to farmers' income stemming from sales on the markets, which are subject to volatility, and to compensate for the low profitability of the sector. According to the 2015-2020 EU's financial framework, Polish farmers will receive some €23.5 billion combined.