site.btaFarmers to Receive Compensation under De Minimis Scheme In Connection with Forest Fires

After establishing the damage from the fires, the Ministry of Agriculture is ready to activate the de minimis aid to compensate farmers, said Minister Tahov

The Agriculture Ministry is ready to disburse aid under the de minimis scheme to compensate farmers affected by the fires, after damages to agricultural production, farm animals, including bee colonies, have been identified, said Agriculture Minister Georgi Tahov during a hearing in Parliament in connection with forest fires.

Under the de minimis schemes farmers can receive compensation for the loss of agricultural production, animals, bee colonies, and fodder due to the fires, Tahov said.

Under de minimis aid scheme, an agricultural holding can receive up to EUR 25,000 over a period of three years.

Another mechanism is in terms of direct payments, Tahov said. Farmers in areas, where a state of disaster has been a declared, will still be eligible for support in the 2024 campaign, the Agriculture Minister said.

In order to remove sources of fire hazards, the Minister has issued an order banning mowing between July 18 and August 18. The ban does not apply to areas in the Natura 2000 network if it is done by hand and at low speed.

The Minister said that over 50 fires affecting forest areas have been recorded in the country in the past week alone. More than 4,000 hectares have burnt and more than 500 hectares in high fires he said. Tahov noted that the largest fires were in the area of the state forestry farms in Svilengrad (2,000 hectares), Hisar (four fires on an area of nearly 700 hectares), Elhovo, Varna, Stara Zagora, Topolovgrad, Pleven and Burgas and in the area of Osogovo.

Over the past year, more than 1,000 forestry officials have undergone special training at the Fire Safety and Population Protection centers.