site.bta Government Undertakes Measures to Stabilize Animal Breeding Sector

Government Undertakes Measures to Stabilize Animal Breeding Sector

Sofia, May 21 (BTA) - A meeting Thursday between Prime Minister
Boyko Borissov, Agriculture and Food Minister Dessislava Taneva
and heads of trade associations in animal breeding and dairy
farming mapped out measures to support the two sectors. The
meeting was called in response to the plummeting prices for the
purchase of milk which lead to large-scale discontent and calls
for national protests of animal breeders.

One of the measures requires farmers who use state or municipal
pastures and grasslands but do not have animals or whose number
falls short of what is required by law, to give back the
pastures after February 2, 2016, if meanwhile they still have
not purchased animals.

Another measure is amending the Agricultural Land Ownership And
Use Act to cope with the situation where 35 per cent of the
grasslands public property are used by farmers who do not breed
animals, meaning that such lands are only farmed for the
European subsidies. At the same time, long-term agreements -
sometimes for 20 years, are in effect in respect of the bulk of
the grasslands, which cannot be terminated, Taneva said.

Changes are also planned in the procedure for the distribution
of pastures amongst animal breeders.

The sector is to receive state aid totalling 26 million leva. A
decision to this effect is to be made by the State Agriculture
Fund.

Two other measures are granting 8 million leva to the scheme for
 providing milk in schools, and replacing the state reserves of
cheese, which however, will be done with as little money as
possible.

The participants in the Thursday meeting also agreed on
amendments to the Public Procurement Act whereby procurement of
milk and yoghurt will have a requirement for the products to be
certified according to the relevant Bulgarian State Standard, or
 BDS.

It emerged after the meeting that animal breeders will
nevertheless go ahead and hold a rally on Friday in
Dimitrovgrad, Southern Bulgaria. A farmer from the village of
Suedinenie, also in Southern Bulgaria, said that the purchase
price of milk has fallen to 0.25 leva/l, from 0.75 leva/l.