2024-02-10 14:54:20
The protests will stop from the beginning of the new week, assured the chairman of the National Association of Grain Producers
“We had another meeting with the grain producers. It was again meaningful, we believe that we have an agreement on the main points. On Sunday we expect to edit the agreement so that it has a final form and on Monday we will sign it”, this is what Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov said at a briefing in the Council of Ministers after the meeting with the protesting farmers. The Minister of Agriculture Kiril Vatev was also present at the meeting.
“We have an understanding on the three types of points from the declaration that we had put in advance,” confirmed the chairman of the National Association of Grain Producers, Iliya Prodanov.
Prodanov assured that the effective protest actions will be stopped from Monday onwards.
“An agreement text will be drawn up between us as representatives of the industry and the Prime Minister, which will be approved by all and signed,” said the chairman of the NAZ.
Kostadin Kostadinov from the Bulgarian Agrarian Chamber explained that the rates of last year will be achieved.
“I want to thank the farmers for their patience and intelligence, but most of all I want to thank the Prime Minister that all our meetings were held afterwards and with him. It was seen that no one would be harmed, thanks to the team of the Ministry of agriculture, as well as the “Agriculture” fund, which today pays BGN 100 million to farmers according to plan,” said Agriculture Minister Kiril Vatev.
The “Fruits and Vegetables” Branch Chamber added that today a longer-term vision for the development of Bulgarian agriculture has been put in place with the extension of additional laws that will guarantee the integrity, development and revival of Bulgarian agriculture, so that it can be sustainable in the coming years.
“The funds are provided from the budgets of the Ministry of Agriculture and the State Fund for Agriculture. It is not necessary to take funds from other sectors. The funds are provided from the transformation of internal budgets, without affecting other measures that are already planned.” , Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov explained.
“The second principle was that we should take care of the smallest producers. The smallest producers, which are up to 300 hectares, will not need to prove losses. For the bigger ones, what we set last time as a requirement remains. Through a simplified statement of expenses and income, they can prove that they are at a loss, so that they can receive the corresponding support,” he added.
The Prime Minister explained that in relation to the area that farmers have, the small ones will receive the most, then the medium ones and the largest producers will receive the least. Academician Denkov explained that there will be a ceiling on the aid, which will be fixed when the overall picture is seen.
“There are no aid funds coming from Europe for Ukraine. This is national assistance. As the Prime Minister explained, by restructuring the budget of the Ministry and the DF “Agriculture” the same thing that happened last year is being repeated. There is nothing new and surprising, and no one will not be damaged”, assured the Minister of Agriculture Kiril Vatev.
Farmers’ protests began on Monday. Protesting manufacturers across the country shut down key thoroughfares. Their main demands were that Bulgaria’s international positions in the EU should be in defense of Bulgarian producers, as well as some legislative demands.
“The staged payment will be more rates. All that we have decided so far, we have to translate it to Brussels. These are stages and processes and that is why the staged payment. The European Commission must ratify the state aid that will be granted. Each one such aid must be ratified by the EC, regardless of the fact that it is paid with national funds,” explained the head of the State Fund for Agriculture, Georgi Takhov.