site.btaRoumen Porozhanov Reports on Agriculture Ministry's 100 Days

Sofia, August 31 (BTA) - Looking back on the first 100 days of his department on Thursday, Agriculture, Food and Forestry Minister Roumen Porozhanov said the ministry's top priorities are: sustainable, competitive and market-oriented agriculture; a stable food sector; sustainable and functional forest management; development of the fisheries and aquaculture sector; and the EU's new common agricultural policy after 2020.

Porozhanov noted that the EU's common agricultural policy is still subject to debate, but there are no big contradictions between the main subsectors. "All member states, including Bulgaria, are in favour of preserving direct payments and related mechanisms such as redistributive payments and coupled support," he said.

He believes that the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU in the first half of 2018 will not give the country any advantage in pushing through specific ideas. But when member states hold different views on some matters, such as coupled support (which has to do with promoting fruit and vegetable growing), Bulgaria will defend its own view (in this case, it will seek to preserve the coupled support mechanism), the minister said. He believes that Bulgaria needs investment measures to bolster local production.

Porozhanov went on to say: "Market and climate risks will become more and more relevant and the farming sector will need reliable support. This means keeping up the level of funding, so that Bulgarian and European farming can compete successfully with that in the Third World." According to him, budget matters will be debated in the EU at the level of ministers, because Brexit will create an EU budget hole of 20 billion euro annually. This will also be a major issue to be discussed domestically in Bulgaria.

Hail suppression is another major problem, the Agriculture Minister admitted. The national hail suppression system covers between 30 and 35 per cent of the country's farm fields; the most sensible thing would be to develop a cloud seeding system to cover the remaining areas, he suggested. The problem is how to raise the 20 million leva necessary for cloud seeding.

The Irrigation Systems Company's financial and functional condition is not good and its assets are scattered, Porozhanov said. Expectations are that the company will not operate at a loss, at least not in the middle of the year, so that it is able to apply for EU funding.

The 26 institutes within the system of the Agricultural Academy will align their policies. They need a single vision about their scientific and production activities.

Discussing wildfires, Porozhanov said more than 90 per cent of them are due to the human factor. Tree bark beetles also pose a serious problem as they endanger forests, he added. A special centre was set up earlier this week to fight the pest. The southern regions of Smolyan and Kurdjali are the worst affected by bark beetles.

The first contracts under the Fisheries Programme have already been signed. Their total price is 45 million leva, he said.

Under the Rural Development Programme, the authorities have paid 250 million leva to beneficiaries during the first 100 days of the current Agriculture Ministry. Over 710 contracts totalling 160 million leva have been signed. Direct payments in the last three months have amounted to 640 million leva, the minister said.

Animal husbandry remains the most sensitive sector and all relevant payments will be made on time, he promised. A new type of aid is being approved in August; it will support the humane treatment of pigs and poultry.

Porozhanov noted that Bulgaria's wheat crop is very good this year. It amounts to almost 6 million tonnes and its quality is very good. About 1 million tonnes of it will be exported abroad. The national bread balance has been secured.

A new Foods Act will become a fact shortly, he predicted. A Food Chain Bill is being coordinated.