600 million more for the primary sector and a network of measures aimed at protecting the income of farmers and fishermen and therefore the keywords of a new role for agriculture and agro-industry in our country: young people, women, supply chains, innovation, investments, competitiveness, internationalization.
"With this Budget Law," says the Minister for Agricultural Food and Forestry Policies Teresa Bellanova, "agriculture is back in the spotlight. Despite the given conditions, we outline the running paths that will now find full accommodation in the agricultural link that we will present at the end of January. I say it in a joke: if the country's priority is called work, we will be able to correspond more and more by making agriculture and agro-industry central. It is this strategic relevance that we are talking about. Having obtained 600 million more for agriculture is a strategic signal ”.
“It is important,” continues Minister Bellanova, “to have kept our commitment not to increase taxes on farmers. We have canceled the agricultural income tax for 2020 and those resources may be investing in growing companies; there are zero-rate mortgages for women entrepreneurs in agriculture; contribution relief for agricultural start-ups opened by young people and interventions on the emergencies of the Asian bedbug and xylella. And there is great attention to supply chains, competitiveness, innovation. A large keyboard that has a premise: social, environmental, economic sustainability. Only in this way will this sector be truly attractive for the new generations and will be the main actor against the climate crisis and hydrogeological instability because more quality agriculture and agriculture above all means guaranteeing at the same time the quality of the landscape, environmental protection, enormous attention in the use of important resources such as water, saving of soil "
Here are the main interventions:
TAX MEASURES
- IRPEF zeroing for 2020. IRPEF zeroing for direct farmers and professional agricultural entrepreneurs confirmed.
- Tax breaks for nursery gardening. Reduction of the tax base (limit of 5%) for activities aimed at the marketing of live plants and floriculture products among agricultural entrepreneurs.
- Discounts for multi-year investments in agriculture. 20 percent increase in the deductibility of expenses incurred for investments in new multi-year tree crop plants.
WOMEN AND YOUNG PEOPLE PACKAGE
- Bonus "women on the field". € 15 million revolving fund to guarantee zero-rate mortgages for women who are agricultural entrepreneurs or who want to become farmers.
- Young people, tax relief and zero expenses for 2 years. For young people who open an agricultural business, the state will pay the social security contributions for the first 24 months.
- Lands for young people. Streamlining of procedures for the concession of land owned by public bodies to young people through the Banca Nazionale delle Terre Agricole.
COMPETITIVENESS MEASURES
- Fund for the competitiveness of the supply chains. A total of 30 million euros in the two-year period 2020-2021 to support the Made in Italy agri-food sector, with interventions to strengthen the competitiveness of the agricultural supply chains.
- Fund for organic. Establishment of a fund of 4 million euros for 2020 and 5 million euros starting from 2021 for the promotion of organic farming chains and districts.
- Promotion plan aimed at combating duties. Strategic promotion for agri-food products subject to increased duties and to contrast the phenomenon dell'Italiansounding
MEASURES FOR INNOVATION IN AGRICULTURE
- Fund of 1 million euro at the Ministry for support to agricultural enterprises aimed at the adoption and diffusion of advanced management systems through the use of innovative technologies
- Fund of 5 million Europer to encourage investments in new capital goods by agricultural enterprises.
- Interventions for access to credit and cancellation of the cost of guarantees for agricultural entrepreneurs who invest in technological innovation, precision agriculture and product traceability (Art. 41 Tax Law Decree).
MEASURES FOR FISHING
- Income support for fishermen in the event of work suspension resulting from mandatory temporary arrest measures for 2019 and 2020 for an amount of 11 million euros per year.
- Increase in the allocation of 2,5 million euro per year for non-compulsory fishing freeze.
- Extension of the three-year fisheries plan for 2020-2022.
MEASURES TO PROMOTE THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY
- Incentives to existing biogas-powered electricity production plants, built by individual or associated agricultural entrepreneurs, also in consortium form.
- Discipline for the reuse of breeding effluents and waste water, as well as for the production and agronomic use of digestate.
INTERVENTIONS FOR EMERGENCIES
- Asian bedbug. 80 million euros in the three-year period on the National Solidarity Fund for restoration of the damage caused by the Asian bug.
- Possibility of granting compensatory aid from the National Solidarity Fund for a period of 3 years in the event of events the effects of which are not limited to a single year.
OTHER INTERVENTIONS
- Refinancing of the indigent fund of 1 million euro per year for the three-year period 2020-2022.
- Increase of the fund for the stabilization of the precarious workers of Crea to relaunch the research activities in agriculture.
- Definition of oil tourism and extension of the measures envisaged for wine tourism.
- 200 thousand euros for the functioning of the CUN.
AGRICULTURE CONNECTED. It is the bill that will be presented to the Chambers by January 31, through which a new phase of planning and reform for the agricultural sector will open.