Where is the aid for municipal water and how will it be distributed? – Agro Plovdiv

2023-07-31 15:54:33

A working group should be created for the notified BGN 16 million and for the creation of a water strategy, according to the chairman of the raspberry growers

Producers pay irrigation water at rates set at the beginning of the year, but whether they will receive the support promised by the caretaker government and whether it will be distributed fairly is not clear.

Bozhidar Petkov

The chairman of the Association of Raspberry Growers has warned about this Bozhidar Petkov in front of the national radio.

He pointed out that according to the irrigation water price order provided by “Irrigation Systems” EAD, “385% is the highest increase in the highest 4 step, where the price reached BGN 2.2 per cubic meter, albeit in limited quantities.’

At the April 12 meeting, the caretaker government approved BGN 16 million. subsidies for irrigation water. It was decided that the sum would cover 80% of the farmers’ irrigation costs.

However, this is not fair, as farmers pay for water at different rates according to the way it is provided.

Thus, according to Bozhidar Petkov’s accounts, one farmer will water his strawberries at a price of 8 cents, and in the neighboring village another will water his strawberries at a price of BGN 1, while at the same time both operate in the same market, which is extremely unfair.

The BGN 16 million have been notified by the EC, but the way to pay them has not yet been found. The distribution of the amount does not depend on “Irrigation Systems”, but on the Ministry of Agriculture and the DF “Agriculture”.

According to Petkov, the prices should be updated, a working group should be created for the allocation of these funds, as well as a national strategy should be created.

“The big concern also comes from the fact that, by legalizing these unregulated speculative prices, we fall into a concern for next year, because for then no one says that there will be such 16 million aid and no one says that this will be possible.” said Petkov.

Another concern of the farmers is related to the fact that there is a law that provides for a penalty of up to 2 years of imprisonment and a fine of BGN 5 to 15 thousand for people who use irrigation water without a permit from the MoEW, he also noted.

“In Bulgaria, the supply of water is not only from “Irrigation systems”, it covers only 1/3 of the area in the country. The other irrigated areas are carried out by the farmers themselves. Obtaining a permit from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications sometimes becomes very slow and difficult, as well as very expensive. There we also see a number of misunderstandings, because there is no differentiation between mineral water, water for irrigation and water for drinking purposes, everything is under a common denominator. Having such a law, which if activated by the Minister of Environment and Water, we fear that literally overnight, a large number of our members could be brought to justice. This will greatly jeopardize both our work and the entire system.”