Bulgaria is introducing a new scheme to financially support breeders of male calves, aged between 6 to 24 months, with nearly BGN 160 per animal. The country's Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Georgi Sabev, defended the decision, explaining that it is economically unfeasible to keep cows over 10 years due to reduced milk production. He also noted a shift towards meat production in rural areas, due to declining populations and aging demographics, which has led to a decrease in dairy herds but an increase in meat production. Despite these changes, Sabev insisted that Bulgaria is not facing a dairy product deficit, as statistics show that the country produces more milk than its annual consumption requires.