Bulgarian growers can now apply for 1.5 billion Lev (766.9 million Euro) in subsidies from the European Union (EU) and the national budget, to be granted in the form of direct payments. A total of 15 different schemes will be in place for the fruit and vegetables and livestock sectors. The deadline for the submission of documents is mid-May and the largest part of the subsidies are to be paid early next year.

This year, the budget for direct subsidies, announced by Agriculture Minister Desislava Taneva, is higher than last year, when approximately 1.2 billion Lev were granted. This increase is the result of a higher EU budget for direct subsidies.

New support schemes

This year, the rules for direct subsidies have changed and will be valid until 2020, coming into force under various new schemes to support specific sectors, young producers, small farms and others. Besides the main payment of € 85 per hectare, there exist various supplements. The largest of them will be the one intended for green payments, providing 66 Euro of support per hectare, with a further 21 Euro per hectare allocated if the applicant is a grower younger than 40 years old.

Source - http://www.freshplaza.com/