Between 80 and 100 beekeepers from Sofia, Plovdiv, Ruse and Silistra staged a protest in front of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food on Wednesday.
"We are asserting our rights as EU citizens, as EU agricultural producers of apiculture products, which is why we demand the EU financial support which we are entitled to. Three years ago Bulgaria was allocated BGN 30 million for de minimis aid for bad weather conditions and market prices. We are seeking this money now, and it belongs to us," Bulgarian Free Beekeepers National Association President Yasen Yanev told journalists.
In his words, the beekeepers have so far received BGN 23 in state aid, and moreover in installments of BGN 10, 5 and 2. "We can't offset our essential costs on this money, let alone survive," Yanev said, stressing that none of them is seeking personal benefit but they stand up for beekeepers' interests.
The protesters insist on the designation of state laboratories to test for the use of banned pesticides when crop fields are treated with plant protection products. Yanev specified that such tests are now carried out only at private laboratories and they charge between BGN 450 and 520 which beekeepers have to pay out of pocket.
Yanev said that the apiculture sector is in a terrible condition and a heavy winter lies ahead with a high mortality rate and restoration of bee colonies in coming spring yet again.
"The Bulgarian public and the Agriculture Ministry are apparently unaware of the functions performed by the beekeeping sector. Quite a few countries set aside substantial resources for this sector because honeybees are exceedingly useful for biodiversity and the environmental balance," Yanev commented.
The protesters carried placards reading "Agriculture Ministry: Enemy to Bulgarian Beekeepers" and "Bee killers! You are the killers of the future!"
"The beekeepers will receive de minimis aid this year, along with the livestock farmers and crop producers, and national budget resources will prioritize the smallest agricultural producers," Agriculture and Food Minister Kiril Vatev told the protesting honey producers in front of his Ministry.
He recalled that BGN 47.5 million assistance was provided for in a memorandum signed between agricultural producers and the Government on September 20.
At a meeting with Agriculture Ministry officials, the beekeepers were informed that the state will be shared equally between crop and animal production, including apiculture, and a methodology for the allocation of the funds will be developed shortly.
The honey producers shared the difficulties they are experiencing because of the low purchase prices and the large quantities of unsold produce.
Deputy Agriculture and Food Minister Deyan Stratev familiarized the farmers with his Ministry's law-making priorities and discussed issues concerning the food chain risk analysis.
According to Agriculture Ministry statistics, with which the farmers were familiarized, between 10,000 and 12,000 tonnes of honey were produced in Bulgaria annually until 2022. Between 1,642 and 5,027 tonnes are imported from EU Member States and third countries. The largest quantities of honey last year were imported from Poland, Greece, Ukraine and Turkey.
The laboratory analysis of honey was also discussed at the meeting.
Wrapping up, Vatev said that the Agricultural Ministry is open to dialogue with producers and expects to-the-point proposals from them to help the marketing of Bulgarian honey.
/RY/
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