Polish farmers in 2025 can count on unprecedented financial support from the European Union. The Strategic Plan for the Common Agricultural Policy for 2023-2027 provides a total of 25.2 billion euros for Polish agriculture, including 17.3 billion euros from the EU’s first pillar, 4.7 billion euros from the second pillar, and 3.2 billion euros in national funds. This is the largest budget in the history of Polish agriculture, intended to support farm modernization, increase competitiveness, and promote sustainable agricultural practices.
The EU grant system for farmers in Poland is comprehensive and includes both direct payments and specialized development programs. From 2025, a social conditionality mechanism has also been introduced, which makes the amount of support dependent on compliance with labor law regulations controlled by the State Labor Inspectorate. Violations may result in a reduction of grants by up to 10%.
The Agency for Restructuring and Modernization of Agriculture (ARiMR), as the main institution implementing these programs, has prepared a detailed schedule of calls for 2025. Farmers can submit applications exclusively electronically through the eWniosekPlus platform, which significantly streamlines the application and settlement process.
What will you learn from this article?
- What are direct payments?
- How much do young farmers receive?
- How to develop a small farm?
- How to invest in competitiveness?
- What are environmental grants?
- How to apply for grants?
Direct payments amount to 114 euros/ha
The direct payment system forms the foundation of financial support for Polish farmers. In 2025, basic income support amounts to 114.42 euros per hectare with a total budget limit of 6,572.07 million pln. This means that an average farm of 20 hectares can receive approximately 4,800 pln annually from this source.
To receive direct payments, a farmer must be professionally active and conduct agricultural activity on a minimum of 1 hectare of agricultural land. In the case of smaller areas, the total payment amount must be at least 200 euros. Redistributive payment of 39.80 euros/ha is available to farms from 1 to 300 hectares, but up to a maximum of 30 hectares of area.
Young farmers up to 41 years of age can additionally receive a young farmer payment of 58.12 euros/ha for the first five years from starting their activity. Owners of small farms up to 5 hectares are entitled to a special payment for small farms of 225 euros/ha, giving a maximum of 1,125 euros annually.
The system is complemented by a national complementary basic payment of approximately 13 euros/ha, financed from national funds. In total, a farmer can receive from approximately 167 to 200 euros per hectare, depending on the farm category and the operator’s age.
Eco-schemes – additional environmental support
Eco-schemes are a new payment mechanism introduced as part of the Common Agricultural Policy reform, which rewards farmers for implementing practices beneficial to the environment and climate. In 2025, an important change was introduced – a 300-hectare limit per farm for most eco-schemes, with the exception of water retention on permanent grassland.
Carbon farming and nutrient management has the largest budget of 2,452.04 million pln and includes practices that increase carbon sequestration in the soil. Animal welfare with a budget of 1,082.75 million pln supports investments improving the living conditions of farm animals.
Farmers can receive approximately 563 pln per hectare for land withdrawn from production (budget 117.76 million pln), which is an attractive alternative for land with low productivity. Water retention on permanent grassland (85.33 million pln) and Integrated Plant Production (35.52 million pln with differentiated rates according to crops) complement the support system.
A new element in 2025 is the eco-scheme for elite and certified seed material, which aims to support the improvement of crop genetic quality. Areas with honey plants (budget 34.66 million pln) support the protection of bees and other pollinators.
Young farmers receive 200 thousand PLN
The “Young Farmer” program is one of the most important instruments supporting generational change in Polish agriculture. The premium of 200,000 pln is paid in two installments: 140,000 pln after a positive decision and 60,000 pln after partial implementation of the business plan.
The call for applications in 2025 will take place from June 2 to July 31. The premium can be applied for by adults up to 41 years of age who are starting or have started agricultural activity no earlier than 24 months before submitting the application. Alternatively, they may start their activity within a maximum of 12 months from the award of the premium.
Candidates must have appropriate agricultural education (basic vocational, secondary vocational, or professional) or document 3 years of work experience in agriculture. A novelty is the possibility of granting the premium also to capital companies and cooperatives, provided they are controlled by a young farmer.
The structure of fund utilization is strictly defined: a minimum of 70% of the premium (140,000 pln) must be allocated to fixed assets – land, buildings, machinery, basic breeding animals, or intangible assets. The remaining 30% can be spent on production materials: agricultural fuel, feed, plant protection products, and fertilizers.
Combining the young farmer premium with an MRCSK loan allows obtaining a total of up to 290,000 pln in support, where ARiMR repays up to 20,000 euros of loan debt. This makes the program particularly attractive for ambitious young people planning serious investments in their farm.
The business plan, which is the basis for granting the premium, must provide for investments implemented within a maximum of 3 years, which increase the economic value of the farm. This can be infrastructure modernization, purchase of modern agricultural machinery, construction of new livestock buildings, or investments in precision farming technologies.
Small farms receive up to 120,000 PLN
The “Development of small farms” program is a continuation of the previous “Restructuring of small farms” and is aimed at farmers operating farms with an Economic Size of the Farm (ESF) below 25,000 euros. The call for applications is scheduled from October 1 to November 28, 2025.
The amount of support depends on the activity profile: 120,000 pln for farms conducting organic production or registered in the Short Supply Chain system, and 100,000 pln for other farms. The program requires a 15% own contribution, which means the need to secure approximately 21,000 pln of own funds.
ESF is a value calculated based on established coefficients for various crops and animals. For example, 1 hectare of cereals is 750-950 euros ESF, a hectare of potatoes 4,300-5,100 euros, a dairy cow 1,300-2,000 euros, and a fattening pig 300-400 euros. Coefficients differ between voivodships, reflecting local production conditions.
To qualify for the program, a farmer must show sales invoices for at least 5,000 pln gross, documenting actual business activity. The main commitment of the program is to achieve at least 51,600 pln of income from the farm after 2 years from the payment of the first installment, for the next 3 years.
Funds can be allocated to new machinery and equipment related to current or future agricultural production, construction investments covering the construction and modernization of farm and livestock buildings, as well as equipping these buildings. You cannot purchase land, animals, perennial plantations, production inputs, or used machinery.
The point system requires a minimum of 3 points. The easiest way to obtain them is through training (2 points), Integrated Plant Production (1 point), participation in producer groups (3 points), conducting organic production on a minimum of 50% of the area (4 points), or location in LFA areas (2 points).
Income can be documented with VAT or RR invoices, purchase and sale agreements with bank transfer payment, and through direct sales records within Short Supply Chains (up to 100,000 pln annually without the obligation to issue receipts).
Investments reach 1.3 million PLN
The program “Investments in farms increasing competitiveness” is the successor to the popular “Modernization of farms” from the previous financial perspective. It is intended for medium and larger farms with an ESF from 25,000 to 250,000 euros and an area below 300 hectares.
The program covers four support areas with different financial limits. Area A (animal production) offers a maximum of 300,000 pln, as does Area D (groups of farmers, minimum 3 people) intended for harvesting machinery. Areas B and C (organic production and processing and sales) have the highest limit of 1.3 million pln, divided into 1 million pln for buildings and 300,000 pln for machinery.
The co-financing intensity is 65% of eligible costs for farmers under 41 years of age or conducting organic production, and 45% for other applicants. This means that a young farmer can receive a maximum of 845,000 pln in co-financing in area B or C.
A condition for participation in the program is achieving specified revenue thresholds: 75,000 pln annually for areas A, C, and D, and 45,000 pln for area B (only for farms conducting organic production). Revenue must come from the sale of agricultural products produced on the farm over the last 12 months.
The call for applications for areas A and D is planned for 2025 with the deadline November 20 – December 19. Areas B and C had a call in 2024 (November 21 – December 30), but subsequent calls are planned in a three-year cycle.
The program supports investments in precision farming (GPS, herd management systems, precision fertilization), infrastructure for organic production, warehouses and storage facilities for agricultural products, and modern agricultural machinery for producer groups. Special emphasis is placed on technologies that increase resource efficiency and reduce environmental impact.
Environmental grants support sustainable agriculture
The agri-environmental-climate payment system is based on 5-year commitments that farmers undertake voluntarily in exchange for annual payments. The program includes the protection of valuable habitats in Natura 2000 areas and beyond, extensive use of meadows and pastures, preservation of orchards of traditional varieties, and endangered genetic resources of plants and animals.
Biodiversity on arable land supports the creation of flower strips, stubble catch crops, and the preservation of traditional agricultural landscapes. Payments are flat-rate, granted per hectare with a required minimum plot area of 0.1 hectare. The system is designed to compensate farmers for lost income and additional costs associated with extensive production.
The beekeeping sector receives support of 42.65 million pln for apiary modernization, combating varroa, and research support. The program includes the purchase of beekeeping equipment, means to combat bee diseases, as well as research on bee resistance to diseases and pests.
The fruit and vegetable sector receives support for producer organizations in terms of storage, sorting, and packaging infrastructure, promotion of local products, and research on new varieties and cultivation technologies. Initiatives that increase the added value of products and shorten supply chains are particularly supported.
LFA payments (Less Favoured Areas) are differentiated according to zones and type of management. Mountain areas receive higher rates than areas with other unfavorable conditions, which aims to compensate for natural difficulties in conducting agricultural activities.
Apply through the eWniosekPlus online platform
The process of applying for EU grants for farmers requires careful preparation and knowledge of ARiMR procedures. All applications in 2025 are submitted exclusively electronically through the eWniosekPlus platform, which requires having a trusted profile or electronic signature.
The schedule of calls for 2025 is precisely defined. Direct payments can be submitted from March 15 to May 15 (with the possibility of delay until May 31 with penalties). Premium for young farmers – June 2 to July 31. Development of small farms – October 1 to November 28. Investments increasing competitiveness (areas A and D) – November 20 to December 19.
The required documentation varies depending on the program, but the basis is always the producer registration number in ARiMR and a current land map in the LPIS system. For investment programs, price quotes are needed (minimum 3 for purchases above specified thresholds), building permits for construction investments, and a business plan for the young farmer premium.
The most common errors are incorrect completion of the land map, lack of current animal records in the IRZ system, mismatch of offered investments to program objectives, and incorrect preparation of the business plan. It is worth using the free advisory services of Agricultural Advisory Centers or commercial consulting firm services.
The application review process takes an average of 6-8 months from the end of the call. ARiMR first conducts a formal assessment, then a substantive one, and in the case of competitive programs – also a point assessment. Requests for supplements are possible, which must be completed within the specified deadline.
After receiving a positive decision, the farmer has a specified time to implement the investment (usually 2-3 years) and submit payment applications. Payments are usually reimbursement-based, which means the need to incur own expenses first, and then document expenditures with invoices.
The control and commitment system is rigorous. ARiMR conducts administrative controls of all applications and on-site controls of a selected sample of farms. Violation of commitments may result in refund of part or all of the received support with interest.
Advisory support is available throughout Poland. Each voivodship has an Agricultural Advisory Center offering free advice on applying for grants. Online calculators are also available on the ARiMR website, as well as specialized training for farmers.
Summary
EU grants for farmers in 2025 offer unprecedented opportunities for the development of Polish agriculture. The system comprising direct payments, investment support, and specialized programs allows for comprehensive modernization of farms regardless of their size and production profile.
The key to success is proper matching of the program to the farm’s needs, careful preparation of documentation, and compliance with all formal requirements. It is worth remembering the new requirements of social conditionality and application deadlines, which are strictly observed by ARiMR.
Practice shows that farmers who achieve the greatest benefits from grants are those who treat them as part of a long-term farm development strategy, not a one-time cash injection. Properly used EU support can significantly increase the competitiveness and profitability of Polish farms in the coming years.
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