“There will be enough financial resources for small-sized farms so that they are more competitive,”announced Minister of Agriculture and Food Dimitar Grekov in an interview with the Bulgarian National Television. “Only 6% of agricultural producers receive 80% of direct subsidies, which is one of the reasons why a decision was taken for small-sized farms to receive direct payments of EUR 500 to EUR 1,250 per year. The scheme will be implemented in 2015, ”explained Minister Grekov.
Funding for small-sized farms will be secured also through the new Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 which has a special subprogramme devoted to them. Small-sized farms which fall into the subprogramme’s scope in Bulgaria are some 85,000 in number or nearly some 23% [of all farms] and their number in the 2007-2010 period decreased by almost 40%.“We want people who have stayed in villages to be able to earn their bread and make a living there,“ Minister Grekov highlighted.