257,5 mln Leva for the "Agriculture" Fund in 2005

257,5 mln Leva is the financial resource that the "Agriculture" state fund will dispose of in the current year. Its value is the greatest in the 10 years' history of the fund, underlined the minister of agriculture and forestry Mehmed Dikme at a press-conference today. Around 100 mln Leva will be given to the SAPARD program beneficiaries on refinancing contracts with banks if the beneficiary has been already approved and does not have other sources of financing. 27 mln have been designated for the Horticulture program. 15 mln are the funds for credits in the Animal Breeding program. 10 mln will be used for crediting the purchase of agricultural equipment. 20 mln are provisioned for new investment programs for improving the soil fertility. The credits will have a 3-year payback period with one year grace period. 8 mln are provided for investment credit reserve.