This document summarizes Vladimir Ternovskyi and Sergiy Potapov's business trip to Moldova from December 1-3, 2015 as part of the Ukrainian Horticultural Business Development Project (UHBDP). It includes their meeting schedules, descriptions of organizations visited including the National Agency for Rural Development (ACSA) and its rural extension service network, as well as an overview of the Moldova Agriculture Competitiveness Project (MAC-P) which is focused on enhancing food safety, market access, and sustainable land management in Moldova's agriculture sector.

1. UHBDP
Український проект бізнес-розвитку плодоовочівництва
Moldova
business trip ВОЛОДИМИР ТЕРНОВСЬКИЙ
Заступник менеджера проекту
СЕРГІЙ ПОТАПОВ
Менеджер з розвитку плодоовочевого ринку
1-3 грудня 2015 р

2. UHBDP
Plan of visit
1st day
1. Meeting with Konstantin Ozog. Head of ACSA
2. Meeting with Mr. Andrei Botezatu, Group Producer Coordinator, Agricultural
Competitiveness and Enterprise Development Project (ACED)
3. Meeting with Mrs. Olga Sainciuc, Deputy Director, Consolidated Agriculture Projects
Monitoring Unit (CAPMU)
4. Meeting with Mr. Iurie Fala, Director, Association of fruit producers and exporters
5. Meeting with Mr. Anatol Fala, Marketing expert, National Agency for Rural
Development (ACSA)
2nd day
1. Field visit to a cold storage facility in the district of Cimislia used by group of
producers. Ion Bubay Business cooperative farm
2. Visit to regional office ACSA, Cimislia
3. Visit to LEGBIOFRUCT. Mihail Barcaru, Director
3rd day
1. Visit opening ceremony of FructBioImpex

3. General information about Moldova vs Odessa region
UHBDP
http://miepo.md/
Odessa Oblast (Ukraine) -The country's largest oblast by area, it occupies an area of around 33,300 square kilometres
(12,900 sq mi).
It is characterised by largely flat steppes divided by the estuary of the Dniester river. Its Black Sea coast comprises numerous
sandy beaches,
estuaries and lagoons. The region's soils are renowned for their fertility, and intensive agriculture is the mainstay of the local
economy.
The southwest possesses many orchards and vineyards, while arable crops are grown throughout the region.
The oblast's population (as of 2004) is 2.4 million people, nearly 40% of whom live in the city of Odessa.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odessa_Oblast

4. UHBDP
NATIONAL AGENCY FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT (ACSA)
National Agency for Rural Development (ACSA) is a non-governmental, non-profit and apolitical
organization that conducts its activity on the whole territory of Republic of Moldova.
The aim of ACSA is the sustainable development of rural communities through establishment and
maintenance of a professional network of information, consultancy and training service providers for
farmers and rural entrepreneurs. ACSA insures the access of rural population to knowledge, experience
and abilities related to a large range of fields focused on economic and social development of the
villages from Republic of Moldova.
ACSA launched its activities in March 2001 under the name "Agency for Consultancy and
Training in Agriculture".
At the request of its beneficiaries, the organization diversified its range of activities and the number of
clients. This determined the change in the name of the Agency. Thus, in March 2005, the Agency was
registered at the Ministry of Justice under the name Non-Governmental Organization "National Agency
for Rural Development", keeping the ACSA logo.
During the years 2001-2012, ACSA was the executive unit of the component’s "Rural Extension
Services" of the Rural Investments and Services Project (RISP I and RISP II) – funded by the
Government of the Republic of Moldova and World Bank. The main objective was to establish a network
of rural extension service providers as a national and professional system of agricultural consultancy and
rural development in Republic of Moldova.
Starting with the year 2013, Rural Extension Service are still being managed by ACSA and funded only
by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry (MAFI) based on the contract "Rural Extension Services"
(no.29 of April 22, 2013).
Additionally to this project, during 14 years of activity, ACSA has also implemented more than 80 projects
that aimed at complementing and diversifying rural extension services.
All these projects were won based on national and international tenders announced by Republic
of Moldova Government, World Bank, USAID, USDA, SIDA, UNDP, FAO, UNICEF, GEF, MCC, IFAD,
Cepheid, Polished and other donors.
ACSA financial activity is annually audited by international financial audit companies such as Deloitte,
PricewaterhouseCoopers, KPMG and other.

5. Description of Rural Extension Service Network MOLDOVA (ACSA)
UHBDP
Thus, ACSA manages a network formed of 35 service providers (SP) with a total number of 430 consultants, out of which 80 regional
consultants, placed at district level and 350 local consultants, placed on mayoralty level.
RES consultancy offices are present in all 32 districts, Territorial Autonomous Unit Gagauzia (both in Comrat, as well as in Ceadir Lunga),
Balti municipality and Cainari region, but also in more than 40% of rural communities.
This is the biggest agricultural network from the country and the only one who provides access to information, training and consultancy at
rural locality level. Annually RES consultants provide more than of 250 thousand of consulting services whose beneficiaries are over 300
thousand farmers, entrepreneurs and population from the villages.
Local consulting centers are placed in the premises of the mayoralties of the beneficiary localities that represent the contribution of public
local authorities to the development of rural extension services in Republic of Moldova. The RES network has a territorial coverage of 45% of
the total number of territorial-administrative units from those 32 districts, Balti municipality and Territorial Autonomous Unit Gagauzia, and the
consulting, informational and training services are accessible to over 60% of the rural population.
The fulfillment of consultancy activities on regional and local level by SP is performed according to contractual requirements of public
services’ implementation. The provision of services by SP and Local Consultants (LC) is performed according to annual, quarterly and
monthly plans of activity, which are placed with other useful information on informative panels and in public places from the serviced territorial
units and localities. The district and local offices are placed within the premises Local Public Authorities, are arranged and equipped with
furniture, office equipment (telephone-fax, computer, and printer), informative materials and informative panels with public information.
Within SP teams each regional and local consultant has a good preparation as a general practitioner, including the specialization in different
sectors of agricultural and rural development, such as:
i. Fruit growing
ii. Grape growing
iii. Vegetable growing
iv. Animal husbandry
v. Plant protection
vi. Agricultural economy
vii. Rural entrepreneurship and development
viii. Agra-tourism
ix. Disasters’ risk management
x. Agricultural marketing
xi. Agricultural legislation
xii. Agricultural ecology
All regional and local RES consultants, together with mandatory training, specialization and refresher courses, attended professional training
at the Excellence Centers from Romania, Czech Republic, Israel and Poland.

6. UHBDP
National Agency for Rural Development (ACSA) Organizational Chart

7. Visit to regional office ACSA, Cimislia
UHBDP
Full description of ACSA

8. Description of Rural Extension Service Network MOLDOVA (ACSA)
UHBDP
Services for clients and government
- Weather forecast service
Works thru SMS. Provides alarms to clients in case if the weather could damage crops. Weather
forecast and current data take from the government meteorology division.
This service was popular until the farmers had to pay for it. Situation is similar with the experience of
UHDP.
- Price information on local markets
Each day by 2 pm 10 ACSA people send price information thru special Android app. Total number of
available articles are 78. Description of these article is published on ACSA web site.
- Provides for the government Gross Margin analyses on agricultural production. That helps to
government to make decisions on what direction of ag business to support thru subsidizing for cirtain
crops
- Helps farmers to fulfill papers to get subsidies from government thru AIPA.
- Provides publications (booklets, brochures and books ) for farmers on a payment base. As an NGO
ACSA has revolving fund for this operation. Price for publications = self-cost.
The topic of each publication depends on demands of agricultural producers. ACSA has a specialist
who are looking for consultant who able to write a publication according to producers needs
Publications on gender and environmental issues disseminates for free but only with the support of a
project that are willing to cover costs for such publications.
Could be an idea for UHBDP recipients
- ACSA has direct contracts with 2 Middle East countries for consultancies on land sharing and land
consolidations projects
- Actively partnering with Ukrainian companies APK-Inform, Agroanalyses and client of the Project
M. Pavlivsky

9. Interaction between the participants of the Grant Program in Moldova
UHBDP
CAPMU
The Consolidated Agricultural Projects Management Unit (CAPMU) was created by Government Decree on
September 29, 1999 by consolidating two project management units that were implementing World Bank financed
agricultural projects. CAPMU is currently managing all WB/IDA projects in the agriculture and rural sectors and has
been the key agency responsible for coordinating preparation of the projects.
In present CAPMU implementing a new agricultural project: Moldovan Agricultural Competitiveness Project (MAC-P)
for 5 years period (2012- June 2017)
Projects implemented by CAPMU:
• Rural Investment and Services Project II (RISP II) – (March 2006 – June 2013)
• Avian Influenza Control and Human Pandemic Preparedness and Response Project (AIHP) - (June 2006 - May
2011)
• Renewable energy from agricultural wastes (BIOMASS) – (May 2005 – June 2008)
• Agricultural Pollution Control (APC) - (Feb 2004 - Dec 2009)
• Youth Socio-Economic Empowerment through Inclusive Business Development & Innovative Social Services
Delivery (YSEE) – (Dec 2003 – Dec 2009)
• Rural Investment and Services Project I (RISP I) - (June 2002 – August 2006)
• Rural Finance Project - (Jan 1998 – June 2001)
• First Agricultural Project - (May 1996 – Dec 2001)
CAPMU staff has a wide experience in implementation of the World Bank financed projects and experience in
assisting to other international donors financed projects. CAPMU is equipped with the all necessary office spaces,
office and logistic equipment, vehicles, internet access, web site.
http://www.capmu.md

10. MOLDOVA AGRICULTURE COMPETITIVENESS PROJECT (MAC-P, November 2012- June 2017)
UHBDP
The Project Development Objective is to enhance the competitiveness of the country’s agro-food sector by supporting the modernization of the food
safety management system; facilitating market access for farmers; and mainstreaming agro-environmental and sustainable land management
practices. The PDO will be achieved through activities aimed at: (i) strengthening country capacity to manage the increasingly complex food safety
agenda; (ii) increasing levels of farmer organization and improving post-harvest infrastructure; and (iii) promoting adoption of sustainable land
management practices by farmers and ensuring a strengthened response by the authorities to soil degradation challenges.
Project components:
COMPONENT 1: ENHANCING FOOD SAFETY MANAGEMENT
Sub-component 1.1.: Regulatory and institutional support
Sub-component 1.2.: Technical enhancements for food safety management
COMPONENT 2: ENHANCING MARKET ACCESS POTENTIAL
Sub-component 2.1.: Business development support for productive partnerships
Sub-component 2.2.: Investment support for post-harvest technologies
COMPONENT 3: ENHANCING LAND PRODUCTIVITY THROUGH SUSTAINABLE LAND MANAGEMENT
Sub-component 3.1.: Capacity building for sustainable land management (SLM)
Sub-component 3.2.: Financial support for piloting sustainable land management
Sub-component 3.3.: Support for the rehabilitation of shelterbelts
COMPONENT 4: Project management support, M&E
The project will be implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry (components 1 and 2) and the Ministry of Environment (component
3).
PROJECTCOMPONENTS DECRIPTION
Component 1: ENHANCING FOOD SAFETY MANAGEMENT
This component would finance activities aimed at enhancing human, institutional and technical capacity of the country’s food safety management
system, as well as ensuring regulatory harmonization with EU requirements. Adoption of EU acquis on SPS carries significant implications for state
institutions in charge of food safety and quality, producers and consumers. EU regulations in these fields demand some of the highest standards in the
world and consequently compliance by Moldova to these rigors would entail a lengthy and complex process that requires substantial financial efforts.
The component would be structured into two sub-components that would aim to address key priorities identified in the framework of DCFTA
negotiations related to regulatory and institutional support and technical enhancements of the food safety management institutions.
Componenta 2: ENHANCING MARKET ACCESS POTENTIAL
This component would finance activities aimed at improving marketability and market integration of Moldova’s high value agricultural products –
specifically in the horticultural sector – where the country has proven comparative advantages in the production of fruits and vegetables. The
component would address institutional and market access elements of the competitiveness framework presented earlier by supporting government
efforts in creating an enabling environment for voluntary farmer productive partnerships (business cooperatives or producer groups), and by assisting
them in creating and expanding their asset base for the application of modern post-harvest technologies. This support is expected to translate into an
increased share of quality products that meet safety and quality standards for target markets, and therewith strengthen the sector’s relative
competiveness and consequently its income generation potential. The proposed approach recognizes that the ability of Moldova’s horticultural sector
to serve increasingly demanding national and regional markets is a function of producers’ ability to organize themselves and to cooperate for purposes
of lumping capital and scaling up their operations for post-harvest storage, handling, compliance with food safety requirements, adherence to target
market standards, and joint promotion and marketing of produce.

11. MOLDOVA AGRICULTURE COMPETITIVENESS PROJECT (MAC-P, November 2012- June 2017)
UHBDP
The design of this component relies on the provision of grant-based assistance to producers for business development and investment
support in order to overcome current market failures related to: (a) insufficient availability to individual producers of public goodssuch
as information, knowledge and business advice on modern post-harvest handling processes, technology and market opportunities; and
(b) lack of economies of scale caused by high investmentcosts and inadequate credit facilities for critically necessaryinvestments for
which lumping of capital is required. These factors constitute significant disincentives for the emergence of productive partnerships and
adequately scaled operations. The project would attenuate them by providing conditional business development and investment
support, thus facilitating the emergence of producer groups in the horticulture sector. The major expected externalities from this
approach are: (i) the demonstration effects that would set the stage for the creation of a much largernumber of productive partnerships
than the project itself can support, in the horticultural sector and beyond; and (ii) policy lessons that could inform public decision making
for best approaches to eliminate current market failures mentioned above.
Component 3. ENHANCING LAND PRODUCTIVITY THROUGH SUSTAINABLE LAND MANAGEMENT
This component would finance activities aimed at mainstreaming sustainable land management practices and technologies, and
rehabilitation of anti-erosion shelterbelts. As part of the competiveness framework presented earlier, it would support governance and
resource endowment/depletion aspects that can increase competitiveness of the agriculture sector by enhancing land productivity. The
activities of the component would be aligned along three lines of support: (i) strengthening of human, institutional and technical capacity
(both locally and nationally) for the implementation of SLM activities; (ii) financial support in the form of matching investment grants to
farmers for piloting theadoption of sustainable land management practices and technologies; and (iii) investment support for the
rehabilitation of anti-erosion shelterbelts with the purpose of maintaining and enhancing the productivity of agricultural land. Matching
investment grants provided to farmers would attempt to overcome current market failures related to: (a) insufficient public goods such
as information and knowledge on the practical application of knowledge-intensive and often innovative practices for sustainable land
management; (b) high transaction of information costs that can only be attenuated by a wider availability of demonstrable SLM
practices and technologies; and (c) long maturation of investmentsthat are not feasible for private investors, but are positive for the
society at large. The major expected externalities from this approach are: (i) the demonstration effects that could catalyse a wider
commercial-based application of SLM practices and technologies; and (ii) policy lessons that could inform public decision making for
best approaches to mainstreaming such activities.
Component 4. PROJECT MANAGEMENT
The component would support costs associated with project implementation, including operational and consulting costs for fiduciary,
component coordination, monitoring and evaluation support to MAFI and MOE.
http://www.capmu.md/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=83&Itemid=97&lang=en
RISP II: Success Stories => RISP II: Success Stories

12. Interaction between the participants of the Grant Program in Moldova
UHBDP
Agency’s mission: The agency of Interventions and Payments for Agriculture was created by the Government decision
no. 60 of February 4, 2010. It is an administrative body subordinated to the Ministry of Agriculture and
Food Industry. The Agency’s mission is to manage financial resources intended for supporting
agricultural producers, to monitor the allocation of such resources and to evaluate the quantity and
quality impact of the state’s measures intended to support farmers.
The agency carries out the following basic functions:
a) ensures the correct and legal management of the funds allocated for supporting the agricultural
producers;
b) examines the requests and applications submitted by the applicants, as well as their eligibility to
benefit state-provided funds, according to the established procedures and regulations;
c) creates and keeps the Register of agricultural holdings;
d) runs and internal control system with the aim to ensure the correctness of the applied procedures
and systems, as well as to measure their performance.
The agency has the following basic duties:
a) to approve payments to beneficiaries after having verified the requests, detected and fully
eliminated the existing irregularities;
b) to accept or reject applicants’ requests for payment and inform them on the errors found, according
to the established procedures and regulations;
c) to monitor, account and register payments in the Agency’s separate accountant registers (data
processing electronic system) and prepares information related to expenses execution;
d) to keep the necessary documents in the context of the internal and external control justifying
carried out payments and documents confirming the meeting of the physic and administrative control
requirements;
e) to work out procedure and methodology guides with a view to implement functional duties legally;
f) to draft payment orders and submits them to the territorial units of the State treasury;
g) to ensure structural subdivisions and territorial directorates with technical equipment and supplies;
h) to submit quarterly and annual reports, as well as reports on the carried out operations and their
relevant aspects;
i) to accountant carried out payments;
j) to inform the civil society on the carried out activities.

13. Interaction between the participants of the Grant Program in Moldova
UHBDP
http://www.aced.md/en/
ACED Profile
The Agricultural Competitiveness and Enterprise Development Project
(ACED) is a five-year program, co-funded by USAID and MCC. The main
objective of the project is to increase the success of the Moldovan agriculture
sector in the production and marketing of high value crops. ACED will work
with producer groups and value chain enterprises (packers, cold chain
facilities, consolidators, input suppliers, exporters, supermarkets and others)
to increase the ability of the entire value chain to produce and deliver high
value crops of the right type and quality to attain profitable prices from buyers
in domestic and export markets. The program will work throughout the country
with a special emphasis on areas benefitting from the MCC-financed
rehabilitation of central irrigation systems.
The program includes four major elements:
- Market Linkage Development: Beginning with accurate information about
the needs of various domestic and international markets, ACED develops
direct long-term linkages between local suppliers and buyers in target
markets.
- - Production Training: ACED provides a wide range of producer training
and demonstration activities aimed at increasing the cost-effective
production of products in high demand.
- - Technical Assistance: ACED increases the capacity of local service
providers of all types critical to targeted value chains and increase their
ability to provide high quality service on a commercial basis to post-harvest
value chain participants.
- - Business Environment: ACED works with government agencies to
strengthen phytosanitary inspection and testing capacity. ACED will also
work with value chain participants to encourage targeted policy change to
help attract investment in high value agriculture and facilitate profitable
exports. ACED is managed by DAI, a US development project
management firm that has worked in Moldova since 1994.

14. Fruit and Exporters Association
http://www.moldovafruct.md/
• Moldova produces fruits 3 times more than it consumes
• The association has 155 members. The Association Council 15 members.
• Main crops are apples and sweet cherrie. 155 members of the association produce 150 tons
of apples, 25 tons of cherries.
• The total storage capacity owned by members of associations is 75 thousand tons. 2
packing and sorting line.
• Exported to 20 countries through the association.
• Membership fee - 9,000 lei per year. But pay only about 80% of the participants.
• Engaged in the lobby of interests in government agencies, provide consulting services to
association members, and spend about 15 large training events each year
• In total about 2,500 fruit producers in Moldova, but there is no connection with them. Do not
want to work together.
Main points:

15. Interaction between the participants of the Grant Program in Moldova (Information Flow)
UHBDP
320 thousand
contacts per year
12 various Projects
and Programs
(including the
Grant Component)
http://www.maia.gov.md/
Ministry of Agriculture
and
Food Industry of Moldova
http://aipa.gov.md/en
The Agency for Interventions
and Payment for Agriculture
http://www.acsa.md
National Agency for
Rural Development

16. Ion Babai - business cooperative for growing table grapes, almonds, walnuts.
The first participant Counter grant program from MAC-P, 2014, Cimislia
UHBDP

17. UHBDP
Ion Babai - business cooperative for growing table grapes, almonds, walnuts.
The first participant Counter grant program from MAC-P, 2014
Ion Babai business cooperative:
• 6 members of the cooperative, established in 2013
• 15 years of experience in agriculture
• 100 hectares of table grapes and 70 to walnut orchards
• All the gardens are under irrigation
• Two-filled reservoir capacity of 30,000 cubic meters and one
under construction
• With the participation of the Project MAC-P and Program
Counter innovation grants modern (ready to certification)
refrigerated warehouse was built with two pre cooler and
storage of 700 tons (table grapes is preserved until February).
• The total cost of the project – 700 kUSD (14 MIO MD Lei).
• Grant aid – 340 kUSD
• The main directions of sales table grapes - 20% of the
domestic market in Moldova, 60% - Russia, 20% - Ukraine.
• Walnut orchards come into commercial fruition after 3-5
years

18. UHBDP
LEGBIOFRUCT - business cooperative for the production of dried prunes, cultivation and
storage of table grapes.
The NEXT participant Counter grant program from MAC-P, 2014, Hrtop, Cimislia

19. UHBDP
«LEGBIOFRUCT» - business cooperative for the production of dried prunes, cultivation and storage of
table grapes, strawberries, cherries, greenhouse tomatoes, herbs and salads to …Iran.
The NEXT participant Counter grant program from MAC-P, 2014, Hrtop, Cimislia
LEGBIOFRUCT business cooperative:
• 5 members of the cooperative, established in 2014
• Founders have 8 years of experience in agriculture
• Has 100 he of prunes and grapes
• To fulfill capacities will buy needed volume
• With the participation of the Project MAC-P and Program
Counter innovation grants modern (ready to certification)
refrigerated warehouse was built (two stages) storage of
1500 tons (table grapes is preserved until February).
• The total cost of the project – more then1 MIO USD.
• 300 ~ kUSD bank loan (18% in lei), 350 ~ kUSD own
money, Grant aid ~ 350 kUSD
• The main directions of sales products – 5-7% of the
domestic market in Moldova, 70% - different countries
(Romania, Slovakia, Poland, Iran, Iraq ...& more), 20% -
Ukraine.

20. «FructBioImpex» - business cooperative & the Packing House in Costesti became operational due to
the support offered by the US and Romania. Ialoveni, Costesti, Moldova
UHBDP
Ialoveni - On December 3, 2015
held the launching of operations at
the packing house in Costesti,
Ialoveni, which became operational
due to the support of the people of
the United States and the people of
Romania, through the US Agency
for International Development
(USAID) and Romania's
Development Cooperation
Programme (RoAid), and
contributions from local producers
FructBioImpex members of
cooperatives.
In the inauguration ceremony,
attended by representatives of the
Moldovan Government, local
authorities, producers and
journalists, US Ambassador to
Chisinau James Pettit noted that
"the completion of construction
packing house in Costesti, together
with other activities by ACED
demonstrates the US commitment
to help Moldova to become a
European country fully democratic,
independent and prosperous.

21. «FructBioImpex» - business cooperative & the Packing House in Costesti became operational due to
the support offered by the US and Romania. Ialoveni, Costesti, Moldova
UHBDP
FructBioImpex business cooperative:
• 5 members of the cooperative, established in 2014
• 10 years of experience in agriculture
• With the participation of the Agricultural Competitiveness
and Enterprise Development Project (ACED) and
Program Counter innovation grants modern (ready to
certification) refrigerated warehouse was built storage
of 2800 tons (table grapes is preserved until February).
• The total cost of the project – more then1 MIO USD
• Grant aid from ACED ~ 300 kUSD
• Other financial aid (state of Moldova & RoAid) ~ 300
kUSD
• Construction work was completed with a delay and
now storage and packing plant - without the goods.
The main direction of product sales on the business
plan - export.

22. Interaction between the participants of the Grant Program in Moldova
(Responsibility Flow)
UHBDP
http://aipa.gov.md/en
The Agency for Interventions
and Payment for Agriculture
http://www.acsa.md
National Agency for
Rural Development
S&MHF
agreement of intent
requirements
informationaboutthe
implementationinaparticulararea
guidetoaction
It collects all the information about
the financial and fiscal activities
of enterprises in the past three years
certificate of receipt of the grant
counter
1
2
34
6
75
8
9
10
11
12

23. Interaction between the participants of the Grant Program in Moldova (Money Flow)
UHBDP
http://www.maia.gov.md/
Ministry of Agriculture
and
Food Industry of Moldova
http://aipa.gov.md/en
The Agency for Interventions
and Payment for Agriculture
http://www.acsa.md
National Agency for
Rural Development
S&MHF
Grant
project
matching grant program ($, €)
bank credit (or co-financing), Lei
grantmoney
fixedassets
estimationoftheresult
1
2
3
4
5

24. Interaction between the participants of the Grant Program in Lithuania
UHBDPhttps://www.nma.lt/index.php?lang=2
History
• The National Paying Agency under the Ministry of Agriculture (hereinafter “the Agency”) was established on 11 November 1999. Upon the
establishment, the Agency employed 12 people.
• SAPARD support management has been the main objective of the Agency since its establishment. The right to manage this support autonomously was
granted by the European Commission on 26 November 2001. The first collection of applications started in December 2001, with the first grant agreement
signed with Raupaičių Ūkis, an agricultural cooperative enterprise of Šiauliai district, in January 2002.
• Upon the accession of Lithuania into the European Union in 2004, the Agency entered a new and much more difficult stage of activity, namely the
management of the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy measures. It started managing support under the measures of the Rural
Development Plan 2004–2006 and the Rural Development and Fisheries Priority of the Single Programming Document of Lithuania for 2004–2006. A
Single Payment Scheme for direct subsidy payments to landowners has been applied since 2004.
• The financial period 2007–2013 started in 2007. It coincided with the start of the implementation of the new Lithuanian Rural Development Programme
2007–2013. EUR 2.28 billion of support has been allocated under this programme.
• The payment of support under the Rural Development Plan 2004–2006 was finished on 31 December 2008 and that under Priority 4 of the Single
Programming Document of Lithuania for 2004–2006 was completed on 30 June 2009.
• On 5 May 2009, the Agency was issued a certificate of compliance of the Agency’s information security management system with ISO/IEC 27001:2005
requirements.
• The process of application of a Common Assessment Framework was initiated at the Agency in December 2009.
• A Quality Management System has been implemented in accordance with LST EN ISO 9001:2008 in 2010.
• In 2012 the Agency was granted the National Quality Prize in the category of big enterprises. The annual competition of the National Quality Prize is
organized by the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Lithuania and the Quality Council.
• In 2013 Agency nominated for the European Knowledge Award. European Knowledge prize values European Union institutions efforts to help their
employees to improve and broaden their professional knowledge.
• As of 7 January 2014 Erikas Bėrontas took the Agency Director‘s office.
• Environmental Management System LST EN ISO 14001:2005 installed at the end of 2014.
• The financial period 2014-2020 started in 2014. EUR 4.63 billion of support has been allocated under this programme.
• The structure of the Agency consists of the Management, 2 Senior Advisors, 11 departments, 4 independent units and 10 regional units.