Subsidies to local primary producers progressively disbursed and loan repayment deferral and interest waiver for Fisheries Development Loan Fund borrowers being rolled out smoothly
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A spokesman for the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) said today that a total of 2 847 applications for the subsidy scheme of $10,000 to each local primary producer (including owners of vegetable farms, hydroponic farms, flower farms and nurseries, marine fish culture farms, pond fish farms, fishing vessels and fish collector vessels, but excluding livestock farms) under the second round of the Anti-epidemic Fund were received as at today with 1 294 approved involving a total of $12,940,000.
As at today, a total of 346 applications to the scheme to provide a subsidy of $40,000 to each eligible wholesale trader operating in the fresh food wholesale markets (the ceiling of the grant for each wholesale trader under the same business registration operating multiple stores is $200,000) were received with 148 approved involving a total of $5,920,000.
Moreover, a total of 57 borrowers confirmed participation in the arrangement of a one-off interest-free deferral of loan repayment for a period of one year to loan borrowers under the FDLF as at today.
Primary producers should note that those who have already benefitted from the Subsidies for Live Marine Fish Wholesale Traders and Fishing Vessels with Mainland Deckhands in the first round of the Anti-epidemic Fund will not be eligible to apply for the subsidy scheme of $10,000 to local primary producers this time.
Those wholesale traders operating in the fresh food wholesale markets who have already benefitted from the Retail Sector Subsidy Scheme and the Food Licence Holder Subsidy Scheme in the first round of the Anti-epidemic Fund will not be eligible to apply for the above scheme of a subsidy of $40,000 as well.
People eligible to the subsidy scheme of $10,000 to local primary producers under the second round of the Anti-epidemic Fund can still send in their applications. The application period will end on June 1. Application forms have been distributed to eligible applicants by post and uploaded to the AFCD website (Agriculture: afcd.gov.hk/english/whatsnew/what_agr/what_agr.html; Fisheries: afcd.gov.hk/english/whatsnew/what_fis/what_fis.html).
The application period of the scheme of providing a subsidy of $40,000 to each eligible wholesale trader operating in the fresh food wholesale markets will also end on June 1. Application forms have been distributed to eligible applicants by staff of the AFCD or the organisations concerned, and uploaded to the AFCD website (Agricultural products: afcd.gov.hk/english/whatsnew/what_agr/what_agr.html; Fisheries products: afcd.gov.hk/english/whatsnew/what_fis/what_fis.html).
Completed application forms for the above schemes and copies of the required documents must be submitted to the AFCD as stated on the forms. Subsidies will be disbursed to successful applicants as soon as possible. For details, please visit the AFCD website: www.afcd.gov.hk.
Ends/Friday, May 8, 2020
Issued at HKT 22:55
Issued at HKT 22:55
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