Details of how UK growers can access the €125 million pot of EU support measures for fruit and vegetables in response to import restrictions imposed by Russia have been unveiled.
The UK government and its agencies are currently putting measures in place to make the aid package available to UK growers, although the NFU has warned that EU regulation governing the aid means that the package is subject to many limitations in what it offers growers.
The aid is currently capped at €125 million, €82 million of which is allocated for apples and pears, and the remaining €43 million of which has been set aside for other fruit and vegetables.
The aim of the pot is to avoid a crisis in the European fruit and vegetable market as a result of Russia closing its borders to imports from the EU because of what it feels has been a heavy-handed approach from the EU, USA and other nations in response to the crisis in Ukraine.
The aid is only available in relation to the following products intended for fresh consumption: tomatoes, carrots, cabbages, sweet peppers (but not chilli peppers), cauliflowers and headed broccoli, cucumbers, gherkins, Agaricus mushrooms, apples, pears, plums, some soft fruit (raspberries, blackberries and similar), currants, gooseberries, blueberries (and similar), fresh table grapes, and kiwifruit.
The aid will be available to growers whether they are in Producer Organisations (PO) or not, but the preferred route to draw down on the aid will be via a PO.
This would require non-PO growers to draw-up a contract with a PO to carry out this function, and the PO will be entitled to levy a charge on the claim to cover administrative costs.
If non-PO growers are unable to make these arrangements, they will be able to make a claim directly with the Rural Payments Agency (RPA).
In the UK, the aid will only be available for eligible fruit and vegetables taken off the market from 1 September to 30 November 2014.
There is no aid for losses as a result of a downward pressure on prices paid for products.
FPJ will be following the story and will cover the release of more details as they emerge.
