site.btaUPDATED Prime Minister Holds Meeting with National Grain Producers Association, Bulgarian Agrarian Chamber

On Monday, Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov held a meeting with the National Grain Producers Association and the Bulgarian Agrarian Chamber. The Prime Minister called the meeting "long, intensive, interesting and constructive".

"Part of the discussion was related to the fact that the two sides enter this discussion from different points of view," said Denkov, explaining that on the one hand, there has been a BGN 500 million increase in the agricultural sector budget compared to the previous year, and on the other - there are difficulties in the sector and an intersection and balance must be found. 

Denkov noted that what exactly is defined as critical areas in the agriculture sector should be clear. These are the most affected sectors and  how they should be supported should be clarified as well, he said. 

Denkov pointed out that there were three sets of problems that needed to be addressed. The first is related to the immediate needs and the need for liquidity in the respective farms so that they can continue their activities. The second is to support the Ministry of Agriculture and Food in terms of changes in the laws, which have been pending for a long time. The third group is related to tasks for defending Bulgaria's position at the European level, the Prime Minister explained.
Denkov said that regarding the third group of tasks, what the Ministry is doing corresponds to expectations. 

"Regarding the other two groups, we agreed that as soon as possible, within this week, representatives of both the Chamber and the Association, together with the Ministry of Agriculture, should review all the information that is available and propose options for a solution, which then we will discuss together," the Prime Minister noted, adding that this will be done the following week with the Ministry of Finance as well, so as to see what the possibilities are for support in relation to the sectors affected by natural disasters and the war in Ukraine. 

"We planned a meeting next week," Denkov summarized the results.

Simeon Karakolev, co-chair of the National Sheep and Goat Breeding Association, added that the following week they will propose a memorandum and a package of legislative changes, which are extremely necessary.

In response to a question about whether Kiril Vatev will remain Minister of Agriculture after the upcoming government rotation, Prime Minister Denkov said that this is a conversation he will hold first with Deputy Prime Minister Mariya Gabriel.