site.btaBulgarian Farmers’ Cooperative Urges Government to Halt Planned Mass Vaccination of Small Ruminants

The Bulgarian Farmers' Cooperative has sent a letter to Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov, urging the government not to proceed with a planned mass vaccination campaign against sheep and goat pox. The organization argues that over 90% of the disease outbreaks in Bulgaria occur in small farms with up to 100 animals, which generally fail to meet the statutory biosecurity standards. The mass vaccination would primarily harm large, modernized, and certified farms and dairies, says the letter, signed by the owners of 23 farms and dairies.

Their data shows that 69% of all dairy products made from sheep and goat milk in Bulgaria are exported, making the sector highly dependent on international trade.

Implementing mass vaccination against sheep and goat pox would automatically trigger a five-year ban on trade within the EU in live animals, raw milk, and unprocessed products from these species. It would also block exports to non-EU countries. As a result, the domestic market would be flooded with excess supply, causing a sharp drop by between 40% and 60% in purchase prices within a single season.

This would force all farms to sell below cost price, and many dairy processing businesses would face bankruptcy. The letter cites Greece as an example, noting that despite a high incidence of the disease, the country has refused to vaccinate in order to maintain its export of feta cheese worth over EUR 1 billion annually.

Instead of vaccinating, the authors of the letter urge the government to strengthen control over unregulated animal transport and trade, and to conduct strict biosecurity inspections at all farms.