New call aims to develop short supply chains

Thanks to the short supply chain, the food produced by the producer is sold to consumers through as few intermediaries as possible. The origin of the product is clear and traceable, and production and sales often take place locally, or at least close to each other. REL is a good opportunity for small farms, as it can create sales security for the products they produce, the State Secretary emphasized.

According to Zsolt Feldman, the European Union co-financed application has several advantages: it strengthens the local economy and food self-sufficiency, and contributes to the preservation of local knowledge and traditions. Furthermore, the short transport route and small-scale production support the environmental sustainability of food production, and the closer relationship between consumers and producers helps to strengthen social relations. The call supports the purchase of containers for the sale, storage, cooling and packaging of the food products intended to be sold by the REL cooperation, as well as the purchase of a food vending machine.

An application for support can be submitted by a sole proprietor who qualifies as an agricultural producer, a social cooperative, a church or municipal institution, a non-profit organization, a catering enterprise, an enterprise active in public catering or market organization. An important condition is that an application can only be submitted in the form of a consortium whose common goal is to provide the produced products directly to the consumer. A maximum of HUF 70 million in support can be obtained for a single project.