site.btaBulgarian Agriculture Minister Wants Compensation for Indirect as Well as Direct Damages Caused by Russian Embargo

Sofia, August 19 (BTA) - Bulgaria's Caretaker Minister of Agriculture and Food, Vassil Groudev, said on Tuesday he will insist that the country's farmers should receive compensation not only for the direct damages caused by the Russian embargo, but also for the indirect damages.

Groudev noted that such indirect damages occur when other EU countries sell increased quantities of farm products to Bulgaria because they are unable to sell them to Russia.

He will insist that the compensation to Bulgarian farmers should be equal to the compensation provided to other EU farmers from a planned aid package of 125 million euro.

The Minister said indirect damages are more difficult to calculate because they imply changes in current market prices compared to some future point. They can be calculated by the end of November at the earliest, Groudev said.

EU agriculture ministers will hold an extraordinary meeting on September 5 to discuss all damages from the Russian embargo and mechanisms for fast compensation to farmers.