The European Commission approved the scheme of State aid for compensation of agricultural damage caused by adverse climatic events. The assistance will be given in the period 2015-2020, and has a budget of BGN 138 million. The scope of assistance includes the following adverse weather conditions, frost, storms and hail, ice, or continuous torrential rain and severe drought, which destroy more than 30% of average annual production calculated on the basis of the previous three years.
The support is in the form of direct aid amounted to 80% of average production costs for growing a crop in the respective marketing year. These costs are calculated on the basis of technological maps information provided by the Agricultural Market Information System - AMIS LTD. Farmers who have not made insurance covering at least 50% of average annual production or production-related income can get 50% of state aid. The aid is reduced by 50% upon presentation of insurance that does not cover 50% of average annual production or production-related income.
The aid is granted to small, medium and large enterprises in the plant growing sector (farmers registered under Ordinance № 3 of 1999 to create and maintain a register of farmers) who grow crops and have written statements for completely destroyed areas. Statements are issued by expert committees at the Municipal Agriculture Offices or Regional Agriculture Directorates.