The Minister of Agriculture: National anti-hail protection from next year
Raspberry producers and strawberries producers demanded protection measures from hail from the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, Ms Desislava Taneva. She opened the fifth National Exhibition and the Festival of Raspberries , organized in the town of Loznitsa by the Bulgarian Association of Raspberry Producers and Bio Strawberries.
“According to international forecasts, natural phenomena of the type of hail will become more intense on the Balkan peninsula and this makes it even more urgent to come up with a national anti-hail protection system”, acknowledged the Minister of Agriculture Ms Desislava Taneva at a meeting with producers of raspberries and strawberries during the fifth edition of the National Exhibition and the Festival of Raspberries in Loznitsa.
Ms Taneva commented that three years ago a plan for national anti-hail protection was initiated. Then 25% of the agricultural land was protected, up to now almost 13 million BGN have been invested and the percentage of protected agricultural land is already over 30%. In Ludogorie area however, there are no anti-hail rocket stations, therefore the farmers complained to the Minister that the natural phenomenon causes considerable damage. If in the cereal crop production losses from hail per one acre amounted to 400-600 BGN, the damages caused in the strawberry production amounts to 1800-2500BGN, according to Mr Bojidar Petkov, chairman of BAM AZ. Ms Taneva explained that a total 100% coverage over the country with rocket and airplane technology is foreseen. However, this will happen on the basis of shared funding between the state and farmers. A law has been drafted but since the National Association of Grain Producers have declared themselves against it, it has not yet been adopted. Ms Taneva assures that a consensus between the branch organizations will be sought. She added that the three options for national anti-hail protection will be presented by the relevant areas. If the law is adopted by the end of the year, from 2020 the system for protection against hail will be able to start functioning. Ms Taneva further explained that producers will be able to receive compensation for damage caused by hail from Europe as well; for this purpose all concerned should unite themselves in an association that would work similarly to a mutual fund by forming a compensation fund in case of damages caused by natural disasters. The producers had suggestions in relation to irrigation, which they consider to have been delayed, as well as the one-day employment contracts. At the official opening of the Festival of the Raspberry, Minister Taneva announced that since 2016 there has been a sustainable growth of areas planted with raspberries and berries with the area with the highest growth being Loznitsa, which the minister called “The homeplace of the Raspberry”.
“One of the challenges faced by producers is the shortage of farm hand. We are meeting with representatives from the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy during which we will look for a solution and will discuss proposals from various branch organizations in this area’, indicated the Minister of Agriculture. She called for a constructive dialogue with branch organizations, among which the most cooperative partner is BAM-AZ, to continue further negotiations on the new common agricultural policy.
The Festival of the Raspberry lasts two days and mostly producers from Loznitsa and Popovo take part in it, however, there are also producers from more distant places like Gotse Delchev. On the main town square in Ludogorsko, different varieties of strawberries, raspberries and blackberries are dipslayed, as well as various types of fertilizers and chemicals, there are also tractors, as well as a parked combine harvester for picking raspberries.
This has been the second visit of Minister Taneva at the Festival of the Strawberry and the same as during her first visit, this time she also received an original bouquet. This time, however, the roses and raspberries were not in the same flower arrangement but in two-the roses one was given by the mayor of Loznitsa Sevgin Schukri, and Bojidar Petkov gave a raspberry stem from a variety yielding fruits as big as walnuts.