ulgaria’s Agriculture Ministry said on March 14 2011 it had started payment of subsidies to farmers shortly before the planned protests of agricultural producers because of delays in the disbursement of European Unions funds. The money will be transferred to 91 000 farmers that applied for direct subsidies in the past year. On March 13 2011, agricultural organisations said they would reconsider plans for launching countrywide protests if farmers received the funds promised by the ministry.
Agriculture Minister Miroslav Naidenov said that the country’s State Fund Agriculture (SFA) had started paying 1.018 billion leva in subsidies for each 0.1 hectare of arable land, secured with funds from the Budget and the European Union.
The money will be paid out in two installments, with the first of 18 leva for each 0.1 hectare in European aid currently underway. The second tranche will be paid after farmers redeem their obligations, if any, to the state.
source: dnevnik
