The Junta de Andalucía on 12 September 2026 approved grants totalling €130 million for 2,455 young farmers and livestock breeders in Andalusia The funding is intended to support young farm owners setting up for the first time and to consolidate more recently established agricultural businesses. The decision is part of the Plan Estratégico de la Política Agraria Común (PEPAC) and is co-financed by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development, the Spanish state and the regional government.
According to the regional government, the funding takes the form of competitive grants for applicants under 40. Reserves are earmarked, among others, for women and livestock farms. The award lists available show regional concentrations: Almería, Córdoba, Granada and Seville are among the provinces with comparatively high numbers of grants. The Junta places the measure within a long-term strategy to renew farms through younger generations.
The Andalusian Minister for Agriculture and Food Ramón Fernández‑Pacheco highlighted its twofold purpose: to make it easier for young people to enter the market and to stabilise businesses launched in recent years. The basis is the PEPAC calls for applications and the associated implementing provisions; the specific grant amounts for each project depend on the plans submitted, location conditions and prioritisation criteria.
The government points out that access to the funds is conditional on requirements relating to professional qualifications, investment, employment and farm management. Eligible projects include, for example, modernising livestock buildings and irrigation systems, diversifying into higher-value products, or switching to climate- and resource-friendly practices. Payments are made in stages, in line with project progress and evidence that targets have been met.
Beyond the administrative data now published, there is not yet reliable evidence on the effectiveness of the scheme. Economically, the measure could encourage new businesses and speed up succession. However, whether it changes farm structures more broadly will also depend on access to land and water, training, market access and price trends in European agricultural markets. Its impact on living conditions in rural Andalusia will depend on whether young farms can secure sustainable returns and retain value locally.
The figures on approved applications and funding volumes announced today correspond to the decisions published on 12 September 2026. The Junta said it would announce further implementation decisions and future calls for applications in the coming months.
Editor: Daniel Mayer (Article created with AI assistance).