Ministry of Agriculture and Food will offer farmers to receive long – term pastures from municipalities for at least 5 years. This was announced by Minister of Agriculture and Food Dr. Miroslav Naydenov at the meeting with leadership of Confederation of Employers and Industrialist in Bulgaria (CEIBG). At this moment municipality gives pastures year on year. Thus farmers have no security for a long period of time, that they could use lands and receive subsidies for it; announced the Minister. Lands of the State Land Fund have already put land out to lease for a long term to farmers.
At the meeting Executive Director of Confederation of Employers and Industrialist in Bulgaria (CEIBG) Evgenii Ivanov appealed to the Government to stimulate consolidation by financial sanction for uncultivated land. Minister Naydenov explained that there is no consensus at national level at the moment to introduce a tax or a fee for uncultivated fields.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Svetlana Boyanova announced that a team it is already working towards preliminarily delineation of lands. This means that one who cultivates its land will receive subsidies. For example, assistance will be given to the leaseholder, not the owner of the land, who disregarded his property. She added that this way the increase of cultivated lands will be stimulated. Minister Naydenov added that the new Common Agricultural Policy after 2014 is oriented to support active farmers.