Agriculture Minister Georgi Tahov announced in Sofia that farmers in the fruit and vegetable sector whose crops were damaged this year by drought and frost will receive €7.4 million (US$7.9 million) in aid from the European crisis reserve.
Tahov said Bulgaria had defended its request before the European Commission for additional funding due to force majeure circumstances. "I believe that this amount will be further supplemented to ensure maximum compensation for farmers," he added.
Deputy Minister Yanislav Yanchev confirmed that the first group of applications had been processed and reviewed by the Commission. "All results from the working group's activities have been regularly sent to the State Fund for Agriculture, and payments are being made based on these tables and lists of beneficiaries," he said.
Deputy Minister Ivan Kapitanov reported that, under the rules for damaged crop areas, 32.5 million BGN (US$17.7 million) has been paid to 1,824 farmers cultivating cherries, sweet cherries, and apricots.
The meeting also addressed rates for damaged crop areas, based on technological maps reflecting production cost values. The Agriculture Minister assured representatives that all eligible farmers would receive payments, noting that the Ministry is working to safeguard the sector's interests.
Representatives of the Fruit and Vegetable Branch Chamber stated that they maintain constructive communication with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food. During the meeting, they proposed that sector priorities be considered on a regional basis to better identify problem areas and establish measures for sustainable growth in fruit and vegetable production.
Source: BTA
