Shrubs in the meadows: The regulation allows, but the inspectors do not

Livestock farmers from Lovech are signaling that employees of the Regional Directorate of Agriculture (RDA), who conduct field inspections, continue to demand the removal of shrubs from their pastures. Read more: How a farmer did not receive subsidies because his pastures were burned, plowed, and mowed? This is happening two years after the amendment to Ordinance No. 3 of March 10, 2023, on the conditions and procedure for implementing interventions in the form of direct payments included in the Strategic Plan, for inspections, payment reductions, and the procedure for imposing administrative sanctions. According to the changes in the regulatory framework, pastures that are maintained by grazing are eligible for support even when they have shrubs arranged in a mosaic, provided they do not interfere with agricultural activities. However, on the ground, the clearing of shrub vegetation is still being demanded, which, according to the farmers, is not only unnecessary but also harmful ...