Interreg Europe ABC · good practice

DR-15 – Investments in fruit farms

Agenția pentru Finanțarea Investițiilor Rurale (AFIR) · RO

A Romanian CAP rural-development intervention (€151.38M public funds) that boosts the competitiveness of fruit-growing farms through non-repayable grants for machinery, new and converted orchards and expanded fruit-tree nurseries (up to 65% of eligible costs). Establishing and upgrading perennial orchards improves soil health, water retention and microclimate, while long-term fruit-tree biomass stores carbon above and below ground. Uptake was strong (338 applications, 146% oversubscription; 212 projects selected), making it a replicable scheme that links sector modernisation to carbon sequestration and climate-resilient planting material.