Business competitiveness, job security, new regional food products, and improved local tourism services were among the outcomes from a rural development project on a small farm in Czechia which received funding from the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
Most EU farm holdings are small (under 10 hectares – with a substantial proportion under five hectares) and the CAP therefore recognises the importance of smaller farms. Special assistance for small farms has been available through a simplified and dedicated direct payment system under CAP’s Pilar 1. Pillar 2’s rural development funding opportunities have also been widely used by small farmers to help them grow their businesses. An example of this can be found in Czechia where the Staňo family used CAP co-finance to invest in modernising their small farm by establishing a new cheese-making facility providing traditional regional products.
This project example of CAP support for small farms helped the Staňo’s diversify their income and start selling their new products direct to local consumers and tourists. The project’s success helped build confidence and led to additional business development which further expanded the small farm’s ability to process and deliver their products locally.
