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Ministerial Council Approves Up To €1.515 Million In Grants For Weather-Affected Farmers

The Ministerial Council has sanctioned grants totaling up to €1.515 million for farmers impacted by adverse weather conditions during the 2024/2025 growing season. This decision, taken on September 17 following a proposal from the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, represents a significant step toward supporting the agricultural sector in challenging times.

Targeted Support For Key Crops

The approved support covers a range of crops including olives, avocados, bananas, artichokes, winter potatoes, citrus fruits, and peppers. In addition, a separate allocation will provide exceptional support to potato growers affected by the CORAL weather phenomenon. This targeted funding underscores the government’s commitment to both immediate relief and the long-term viability of the primary sector.

Accelerated Payment Schedule

Unlike previous years, when payments were made in December, the new disbursement schedule is set to roll out in phases starting within the next few days and will be fully completed by the end of October 2025. This acceleration is aimed at offering timely relief to those impacted by the extreme weather conditions.

Funding Mechanisms And Future Considerations

The financial support will be distributed through the National Funding Framework for losses from adverse climatic phenomena and, where applicable, under Regulation (EU) 1408/2013 for de minimis support. The Ministry stated, “The objective is to provide tangible support to farmers, thereby contributing to the stabilization and sustainability of the primary sector.”

With this approval, the current cycle of payments for the specified crops and losses is now complete. Any further damages incurred during the year will be evaluated independently through risk management initiatives executed by the Agricultural Production Insurance Fund.

Further Information For Stakeholders

The Ministry invites stakeholders to seek additional information by contacting the Risk Management Department of the Agriculture Sector at 22408540 or by visiting the local Regional Agricultural Offices.

Meta’s Muse Is Outpacing ChatGPT In Early Mobile Adoption, New Data Suggests

Meta’s new AI app, Muse, may be emerging as one of the company’s strongest consumer launches to date. Fresh estimates from market intelligence firm Apptopia suggest the app has outperformed ChatGPT in early mobile traction, at least in the U.S. and Canada.

According to Apptopia, Muse recorded more downloads in its first 12 days on the market than ChatGPT did during the comparable period after its mobile debut. The comparison, limited to the U.S. and Canada, puts Muse’s iOS downloads at 1.8 million versus 1.3 million for ChatGPT over the same initial window.

A Strong Early Start Across Platforms

In total, Muse has reached 2.8 million global installs in its first 12 days, according to the firm. The app’s momentum also appears to be holding. After debuting at No. 2 on the U.S. App Store, Muse has since climbed to No. 1, surpassing ChatGPT, according to reporting from Business Insider. Appfigures had previously estimated that Muse crossed 1 million downloads shortly after launch.

That early rise matters because app-store performance in the first days after launch often signals whether a product can sustain consumer attention beyond initial curiosity. In Meta’s case, the data suggests Muse is not simply benefiting from novelty; it is gaining ground quickly enough to challenge the category leader.

Daily Users Show Similar Momentum

Apptopia’s estimates point to another favorable comparison for Meta: daily usage. In the U.S. alone, Muse is said to have 642,000 daily active users, well above the 231,000 ChatGPT had at the same stage of its mobile rollout.

To make the comparison fairer, Apptopia also narrowed the analysis to iOS only, since ChatGPT launched on iPhone before expanding more broadly. Even under that tighter lens, Muse still comes out ahead, with 359,000 daily active users on iOS compared with ChatGPT’s earlier figure.

Why Meta Has An Advantage

Third-party estimates are not the same as internal company data, and Apptopia cannot see Meta’s proprietary numbers. Still, even directional data suggests Muse may be on track to become a meaningful consumer product for Meta.

That possibility is strengthened by Meta’s distribution advantage. The company has already demonstrated how powerful its ecosystem can be with Threads, which surpassed 500 million users after heavy promotion across Instagram and Facebook. Muse is likely to receive a similar boost, especially because it can connect across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.

Apptopia does not track Meta’s internal promotion strategy, but its data indicates that more than 95% of Muse users are also Facebook users, while 63% are Instagram users. That overlap underscores how effectively Meta can move users across its products when it chooses to prioritize a launch.

The Strategic Test For Meta

For Meta, the early signal from Muse is less about one app’s download count than about whether the company can turn its scale into durable AI adoption. The first test is attention. The harder one is retention.

If Muse can convert early downloads into habitual use, Meta may have found a new front door into its AI ambitions. If not, the app risks becoming another example of how easily mobile hype can spike before settling back down.

Meta, which was asked for comment, has not yet released public figures on Muse’s early adoption.

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