Bulgaria to Ask Permission from EC to Increase Subsidies for Dairy Producers
BULGARIA - As per an agreement between Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev and the National Association of Milk Producers and the National Milk Board leaders Plamen Penchev and Dimiter Zorov, dairy producers would receive a subsidy of 0.2 leva per litre of cow and goat’s milk and 0.25 leva per litre of sheep and buffalo’s milk.Under EU agreements authorities in Bulgaria would need permission from the European Commission (EC) to grant subsidies above the current limit of 10.8 million leva.
Focus news agency quoted Zorov as saying that in the beginning of February 2008 Bulgaria would send a request to the EC for permission to increase the state subsidies for agriculture.
Most of the dairy producers were satisfied with the money that they would receive under EU regulation 15/35. The money was enough for small farms with up to 42 cows as they would receive 15 000 leva per farm. The bigger farms however would not benefit from the regulation.
Source: Sofia Echo