Bulgarian Farmers Receive Lv 450-Plus Mln in Green Payments
Bulgaria's State Fund Agriculture (SFA) paid 450,157,979 leva to 58,072 farmers under a payment scheme for agricultural practices beneficial for the climate and the environment, also known as green direct payments.
Green direct payments reward farmers for farming practices beneficial for soil quality, carbon sequestration and biodiversity. They were introduced in 2015, as a means to enhance the environmental and climate performance of the EU's Common Agricultural Policy.
To be eligible for payment, farmers must adhere to climate- and environment-friendly practices in their entire holdings. Greening requirements do not apply to perennial crops, and such applicants receive green direct payments for their eligible areas under such crops.
The financial support was paid at a rate of 122.84 leva/hectare, set by an order of the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Forestry.