We use all opportunities to expand support for farmers and processors in the country. The leadership of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food pays particular attention to the modernization of agricultural holdings and enterprises. This was what announceа the Minister of Agriculture and Food Dr. Georgi Tahov in Kazanlak at the opening of the 11th National Meeting of Agricultural Producers in Bulgaria.
Minister Tahov commented that traditionally some of the most attractive support opportunities are sub-measures 4.1 and 4.2 of the Rural Development Program 2014-2020. More than 10,000 project proposals were submitted under these measures from 2015 to 2024. Thus, over BGN 2 billion were directed to 4,000 agricultural holdings and the processing sector.
“The Ministry of Agriculture and Food is preparing a draft bill of the Council of Ministers to negotiate a bigger budget above the available one under the last target intake of sub-measure 4.2. The goal is to finance all project proposals approved with 40 points according to the selection criteria. The financing will be provided through savings made under the RDP, which will allow optimal resource utilization," explained the Minister of Agriculture and Food. He specified that a public discussion to extend the deadline for the implementation of contracts under sub-measure 4.2 until September 1is already underway.
Minister Tahov announced that the Ministry of Agriculture and Food proposes that direct product sale and short food supply chains to be stimulated with financial support under the Strategic Plan. It is planned the intervention "Cooperation for Short Supply Chains" to be included in the 2025 RDP during the second half of the year. The maximum cost for a project will amount to EUR 300,000, providing associated farmers apply only.
Dr. Tahov informed the participants that the draft law on supply chains in the agri-food sector, is currently at advanced stage. “We have defined the vicious practices throughout the agri-food chain, and the draft law is about to be presented to all interested target groups,” he said, emphasizing that currently ten intakes are opened under the CAP Second Pillar of the the Strategic Plan, with another 11 to be launched by the end of the year.
Minister Tahov added that the delay in developing the procedures for the long-awaited application under the Community-Led Local Development (CLLD) approach has been overcome, with the total budget for supporting the strategies exceeding BGN 738 million.
“The application for young, new farmers and small farms announced in 2024 have been successfully completed. More than 3,200 applications were submitted under these measures, while over 2,500 have been prepared free of charge by the National Agricultural Advisory Service,” emphasized Dr. Tahov.
According to him, the year will end with many additional investment opportunities, both for farmers and for processing enterprises, for which funds amounting to EUR 450 million have been provided in four installments. This will ensure opportunities for the implementation of investments amounting to over EUR 900 million through the modernization of farms and enterprises, the implementation of organic production and activities related to environmental protection and reducing the carbon footprint.
"This year we have achieved another major goal, the start of the 2025 Direct Payments Campaign in March and its end without extension of the deadline by June 9, which has allowed timely inspections to be carried out and started the payments," noted Minister Tahov.
He also pointed out that in a matter of hours, more than 1,000 corn producers have submitted applications for assistance under the EU crisis reserve for drought in 2024within the framework of the budget of EUR 10,900,000 allocated to Bulgaria through the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund.
The Minister of Agriculture and Food highlighted the importance of agri sector unionization in order to be more competitive in an increasingly complex and unpredictable market.
In a video address to the attendees, the European Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Christophe Hansen informed about the EC vision for the development of the agri-food sector and its priorities.
Snezhana Blagoeva, representative of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food at the Permanent Representation of Bulgaria in Brussels, presented the Commission's new approach regarding green requirements for the agricultural sector. She emphasized that at the moment the EC is not giving any indications of retreating from the environmental and climate goals, but they should be implemented in a sensible way, while preserving agricultural production and ensuring food security.
Mario Milushev, Director at DG Agriculture and Rural Development at the EC, focused on the unprecedented challenges facing agricultural holdings, the growing geopolitical tensions, structural challenges and the increasing frequency of extreme weather events, which requires a new approach to the agricultural sector. He stressed the importance of the agricultural and food sector for the EU, stating that it generates over EUR 200 billion in added value.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Yanislav Yanchev, agricultural producers, organizations, as well as representatives of the scientific community were also among the participants in the forum.