BAK: New investment criterion discriminates against group-organized farmers

The Bulgarian Agrarian Chamber (BAC) has issued a sharp statement against the proposed changes to the "Financial Status of the Candidate" criterion for the interventions "Investments in Agricultural Holdings" and "Investments Aimed at the Protection of Environmental Components" from the Strategic Plan for the Development of Agriculture and Rural Areas (SPDARA). The letter was sent to the Prime Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria, the Minister of Agriculture and Food, the Chairman of the Committee on Agriculture, Food and Forests, and the media. According to the Chamber, the current version of the criterion places producer groups and organizations (PGOs) – formations that unite farmers for better market realization, logistics, and access to financing – in an unequal position. "Demotivates and punishes association" The BAC points out that according to the proposed formula, the ratio between the declared investment and the average operating profit of the candidate for the last three ...