European Foundation
for the Improvement of
Living and Working Conditions

The tripartite EU agency providing knowledge to assist
in the development of better social, employment and
work-related policies

EU PolicyWatch

Database of national-level policy measures

Eurofound's EU PolicyWatch collates information on the responses of government and social partners to the COVID-19 crisis, the war in Ukraine, rising inflation, as well as gathering examples of company practices aimed at mitigating the social and economic impacts.

Factsheet for measure SE-2022-27/2373 – measures in Sweden

Financial support for agricultural (pigs, poultry, greenhouses) companies

Stöd till lantbruksföretag i vårbudgeten

Country Sweden , applies nationwide
Time period Temporary, 01 July 2022 – 30 June 2023
Context War in Ukraine
Type Other initiatives or policies
Category Supporting businesses to stay afloat
– Direct subsidies (full or partial) or damage compensation
Author Anna-Karin Gustafsson (Oxford Research) and Eurofound
Measure added 20 May 2022 (updated 14 June 2022)

Background information

Due to the current cost of energy, fertiliser and fodder, the viability of many agricultural companies’ operations in Sweden is threatened. To support the companies survival as well as to secure continued domestic food production in Sweden, the government has decided on financial support of SEK 300 million (€29 million) for agricultural companies. The financial support will follow the de minimis regulation under EU state aid rules based on EU Commission Regulation No 1407/2013 on de minimis aid.

Content of measure

The pig and poultry sectors and greenhouse companies have been hit particularly hard by cost increases. The government therefore intends to allocate SEK 300 million (€29 million) in the spring budget for 2022 for temporary financial support targeted at these sectors. For the pig and poultry industry that is hit by the high price of fodder, the aid will be divided based on the number of animals. For the energy intensive greenhouse sector, the aid is based on production area.

A single company can receive a maximum amount of support of 200,000 SEK (€19,200) in accordance with the EU de minimis rules regarding state aid.

The measure is part of a support package valued up to SEK 1 billion (€96 million). The package also includes an increased tax reduction on diesel

Due to war in Ukraine, prices for agricultural inputs continue at a high level. Thus, the government of Sweden has proposed an additional hand-out to the industry in addition to the measure in the spring budget.

Use of measure

In 2020, there were 689 companies engaged in greenhouse farming in Sweden. Agricultural companies with pigs add up to 1,146 companies, 2,451 companies with chicken and 78 with turkey.

Target groups

Workers Businesses Citizens
Does not apply to workers Sector specific set of companies
Does not apply to citizens

Actors and funding

Actors Funding
National government
National funds

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

Trade unions Employers' organisations
Role Unknown Unknown
Form Not applicable Not applicable

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

  • Unknown
  • Main level of involvement: N/A

Involvement

Due to the increase production cost for agricultural companies, the employer's organisation the Federation of Swedish Farmers LRF [Lantbrukarnas riksförbund] has been lobbying for a support for the sector since November, 2021.

Views and reactions

The Federation of Swedish Farmers LRF has expressed joy and relief when the coveted financial support package was announced.

Sectors and occupations

    • Economic area Sector (NACE level 2)
      A - Agriculture, Forestry And Fishing A1 Crop and animal production, hunting and related service activities

This case is not occupation-specific.

Sources

  • 21 June 2021: Garden production 2020 (Trädgårds­produktion 2020) (jordbruksverket.se)
  • 14 February 2022: Support package for agricultural businesses in the spring budget for 2022 (Stödpaket till lantbruksföretag i vårändringsbudgeten för 2022) (www.regeringen.se)
  • 15 February 2022: This is what the government's support package entails (Det här innebär regeringens stödpaket) (www.lrf.se)
  • 20 May 2022: Statistics from teh Swedish Board of Agriculture: animal production (Jordbruksverkets statistikdatabas: jordbruksföretag med djur) (statistik.sjv.se)

Citation

Eurofound (2022), Financial support for agricultural (pigs, poultry, greenhouses) companies, measure SE-2022-27/2373 (measures in Sweden), EU PolicyWatch, Dublin, https://static.eurofound.europa.eu/covid19db/cases/SE-2022-27_2373.html

Share

Eurofound publications based on EU PolicyWatch

30 January 2023

 

Measures to lessen the impact of the inflation and energy crisis on citizens

Governments across the EU continue to implement policies to support citizens and businesses in the face of rising food and energy prices caused by the COVID-19 crisis and intensified by the war in Ukraine. This article summarises the policy responses as reported in Eurofound's EU PolicyWatch database from January to September 2022.

Article

12 September 2022

 

First responses to cushion the impact of inflation on citizens

Although the worldwide pandemic situation had already disrupted supply chains and triggered increases in energy and food prices in 2021, the situation deteriorated in 2022 with the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Article

12 September 2022

 

Policies to support EU companies affected by the war in Ukraine

This article summarises the first policy responses that governments across the EU have started to implement to support companies affected by the rising prices, and those with commercial ties to Ukraine, Russia or Belarus.

Article

5 July 2022

 

Policies to support refugees from Ukraine

This article summarises the first policy responses of EU Member States, including those of the social partners and other civil society actors, enabling refugees to exercise their rights under the Temporary Protection Directive.

Article

Disclaimer: This information has not been subject to the full Eurofound evaluation, editorial and publication process.