Speaking at the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council in Luxembourg, Bulgarian caretaker Agriculture and Food Minister Ivan Hristanov cautioned that the lack of crisis funding forces Bulgarian farmers into a difficult choice between reducing yields or accepting high prices. Hristanov stated that a primary challenge for EU agricultural producers stems from the escalating costs of fertilizers and fuels following the conflict in the Middle East. In Bulgaria, diesel prices rose by approximately 37% between February and early April, while mineral fertilizers increased by about 30%.
This surge in production costs negatively impacts the competitiveness of Bulgarian farmers during the crucial spring sowing period. The Minister also pointed to the dairy sector, noting that domestic milk purchase prices have dropped to EUR 0.27 despite rising operational expenses. Hristanov advocated for the full utilization of instruments within the Common Market Organisation, including the agricultural reserve and measures for temporary voluntary production reduction.
He emphasized that unused funds from Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) interventions must be accessible for emergency support during production cost shocks, stressing the need for swift activation and disbursement. Regarding the future of the CAP, the Minister argued that any degressive reduction in support must not undermine competitiveness. He suggested that current proposed thresholds are too low and risk negatively affecting small and medium-sized farms, which are vital for food security.
Furthermore, Hristanov highlighted the need for full external convergence of direct payments. In addition to agriculture policy, he addressed sustainable forest management, advocating for practices such as agroforestry and mosaic landscapes to reduce flammable materials accumulation, asserting that wildfire prevention requires an integrated, preventive, and localized approach.
Topics: #agriculture #bulgarian #hristanov
It seems the lack of funding is forcing farmers into an impossible economic corner.