Cash to promote and inform on EU agricultural produce

Trade organisations representing UK agricultural sectors have a fresh chance to apply to the Rural Payments Agency for EU funding towards promotion and information programmes for agricultural products.

Producers of one or more of the products listed below can apply for up to half the cost of marketing their goods abroad in a scheme designed to raise awareness and increase sales of EU food products.

The application process for the two schemes, one for internal markets (EU countries) and another external markets (rest of the world), is combined.

Applicants may apply under either or both schemes but cannot submit a combined application. The next deadline is 30th September 2014.

Applicants are expected to fund at least a 20% of the total cost of the programme and can choose either to pay the remaining balance themselves or to finance it by industry levy.

Eligible products include:

Internal Market Promotions

• Fresh fruit and vegetables
• Processed fruit and vegetables
• Fibre flax
• Live plants and products of ornamental horticulture
• Olive oil and table olives
• Seed oils
• Milk and milk products
• Fresh, chilled or frozen meat, produced in accordance with a Community or a national quality scheme.
• Marking of eggs for human consumption
• Honey and beekeeping products
• Wines with a protected designation of origin or a protected geographical indication, wines with an indication of the wine grape variety
• Organic farming in accordance with Council Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91 and products registered according to that Regulation
• Sheep meat

Third Country Promotions

• Fresh, chilled and frozen beef, veal and pig meat; food preparations based on these products
• Quality poultry meat
• Milk products
• Olive oil and table olives
• Wines with a protected designation of origin or a protected geographical indication, wines with an indication of the wine grape variety
• Spirit drinks with a protected geographical indication
• Fresh and processed fruit and vegetables
• Products processed from cereals and rice
• Fibre flax
• Live plants and ornamental horticulture products
• Sheep meat