A further BGN 63,4 million was handed out for disadvantaged areas, including BGN 48,7 million under Measure 211 Payments to farmers for natural limitations in mountainous areas and BGN 15,7 million under Measure 212 Payments to farmers for natural limitations in non-mountainous areas. A total of 37 955 applications were submitted under the two measures.
Strong efforts continued to be made in 2012 under Axis 2 of the Rural Development Programme to ensure that the payments are made by the end of the year. The double increase in environmental payments is coupled by a surge in approved applications under Measure 213 Payments under Nature 2000 for agricultural land, where 3309 producers split up BGN 6.6 million. The figures illustrate farmers’ robust interest in the green measures but also highlight the efficient efforts made by the administration towards speedier processing of papers and streamlining the overall application process.
State Fund Agriculture authorized an extra BGN 5,2 million for specific support for stockbreeders. BGN 3.5 million of the cash pot will be divided among 414 candidates to support cow’s milk production, for economically vulnerable farms, farms in disadvantaged areas and Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZs).
BGN 1.7 million was authorized for 2504 candidates under schemes to raise ewes and she-goats in economically vulnerable municipalities in South Bulgaria and in disadvantaged areas.