A slight clash between grain producers Joseph Delgyanski and Iliya Prodanov was obtained today at the agricultural conference “European deal for farmers – the vision of EPP for agriculture in Europe”, organized by GERB-SDS in Plovdiv.
When discussing what should be changed in the common agricultural policy, the microphone was given to producers and trade unions. Mariana Miltenova was among the speakers. As often happens, Mrs. Miltenova drew attention to unfair support after your country’s entry into the EU. Subsidies were then area-based, which was unfair to fruit and vegetable producers, as they had significantly higher production costs compared to the costs of producing cereals and oilseeds. She emphasized that when the current CAP was being discussed, she proposed that the subsidies represent a percentage of the cost price, but this was not accepted.
The famous grain producer from the town of Rakovski, Yosif Delgyanski, felt affected by Miltenova’s words. He stated that grain producers earn their money with honest work, but this does not prevent them from being constantly criticized.
Mr. Delgyanski stated that science should intervene to say whether it was fair for fruit and vegetable producers to receive 600 BGN per acre of Ukrainian aid. So far, grain producers have not participated in it, although they have been hit by the huge jump in fertilizers, lost markets and unfair competition from sunflower imports from Ukraine. It was said from the hall that the 600 BGN in question was given only once, but Iosif Delgyanski corrected that this was not the case. The truth is that before the war in Ukraine, similar aid was also distributed, but because of Covid-19.
“A lot of people take some money. I’m not against this money, but science needs to come out and say. If you want to develop the sector, develop it, if you want to go bankrupt,” said the grain producer from Rakovski. He believes that receiving piles of unaccounted money “in the hood” increases the appetite for it. And in the next year, producers will ask for even greater support.
His statement caused a lightning reaction from the chairman of the NAZ Iliya Prodanov:
“Mr. Delgyanski, with all due respect, you are a large grain producer, you have a lot of experience. But it is because of this thinking that we are in this mess right now. I am only a grain grower, but I do not reason like you. The other sectors are in a bad state, they need technology, but if we don’t help them, they can’t reform,” Prodanov said and received applause.
On the occasion of the proposals to reform the CAP, Mr. Prodanov said that the sector currently has a high cost price and a low purchase price. “That is, we have reached the bottom. It has to get really bad to get good. It got very bad, now it has to get better,” he wished.
According to him, the Green Deal should be dated to the current reality, which right now is not suitable for its implementation. The administrative burden must be reduced as a matter of urgency.
The EC and the EP cannot take measures one year after the crisis. This should happen within a few weeks at most. “The first protest in Bulgaria was in 2022. You cannot do six protests to get to the European Commission. It’s absurd,” said Iliya Prodanov.
“Farming is a vocation, a legacy, a commitment, a cause. It’s not something you can create with just training. You have to grow up with it, you have to want it. In order to keep these farmers, instead of disappearing, we must respond quickly to all crises,” said the NAZ chairman.
Among other measures to be taken, he listed trade with third countries, which could inadvertently upset the trade balance, and equalizing aid to member states.
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