Croatian accession to the European Union increased the opportunities and benefits of investments and withdrawals of money from the funds to increase the quality of agricultural production and processing industry, and a special interest was shown at the beginning of this year for the measures and resources that can be used by family farms.
One measure that has attracted attention is on the opportunities for young people aged 18-40 years who have just established the family farm and who can count on getting from 3,500 to 70,000 euros, depending on the programs. Additional benefit refers to the fact that the EU farm support to the farmers includes not only "clean" production of agricultural products, but also the possibility that the activities and operations of family farms extend to more similar jobs, from those in the municipal economy, transport, environmental protection and similar, or where equipment and machinery of agricultural entrepreneurs can participate and perform useful tasks.
Increasing the quality and quantity of their production, which provides added value to the produced products and food, can have special application in rural tourism, as well as in the construction of buildings which contribute to the development of their own business and offers. For example, one of as many as 20 measures from the program of the European fund for rural and local development refers to investment in physical assets with a wide range of support from 3,500 euros to three million, and the share of support or a refund from EU funds in the total investment may amount to from 50 to 90 percent. Of course, one should keep in mind that all interested applicants must have "solved papers" or legalized objects, and be enrolled in the Farm Register. Possible advantage is the ability of owners of family farms to connect and unite in joint ventures in order to compete for larger amounts, or offer a better and more meaningful programs. In that they will get significant support in the existing agencies for use of money from EU funds, such as, for example, at the newly established Agro – food Innovation Center of the County Chamber of Economy in Zadar.
