Costly diesel and fertilizer: 170 million euros in state aid for Bulgarian farmers
Brussels has approved the aid. Around 100 million euros is to go to almost 15,000 farms for higher fuel costs, and the rest to nearly 41,000 farms for more expensive fertilizer.
Symbolic image · Photo: Ангел Петров / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 (cropped and resized)
Bulgarian farmers hit by higher fuel and fertilizer prices as a result of the Middle East crisis will receive 170 million euros in state aid. The European Commission has approved the aid, Agriculture Minister Plamen Abrovski told the BTA news agency on Saturday at the walnut festival in Golyamo Dryanovo near Kazanlak. The money will be distributed through two programs.
First, according to the minister, around 100 million euros is to go to farmers who apply for compensation for higher fuel costs. "We expect around 14,000 farmers to apply under the first program for high fuel prices," Abrovski said. According to the ministry, more than 100 million euros will support 14,861 farms affected by more expensive diesel. All producers will be able to apply under the second program against higher fertilizer prices; the rest of the money is to go to nearly 41,000 farms.
The ministry had already said in September that under EU rules no beneficiary may receive more than 50,000 euros from the so-called "Iran aid."