There are no prerequisites for the increase in food prices, but there are prerequisites for the reduction of farmers' incomes. This was announced at a briefing by the Minister of Agriculture Ivan Hristanov.
Due to the increase in fuel prices, fertilizers and other factors affecting the sector, the government has taken measures in the last week. The first is related to liquidity. Hristanov said that the payment schedule in the sector, which in the next 3-4 months is for over 550 million euros, is being withdrawn earlier. The first tranche of 80 million euros to 43,000 farmers has already been disbursed on Monday and Tuesday.
Hristanov again said that Europe must come up with a unified position regarding grain prices.
Another problem is the price of milk. According to him, the purchase price is very low, and at the store counter it is expensive.
Checks on the spending of public resources in “Irrigation Systems” are also continuing.
“By the end of this week, we will submit three signals to the Ministry of Interior for potential abuses on quite serious scales. I want to remind you that “Irrigation Systems” is not just any state-owned company - it is an element of the national critical infrastructure. These are the water and hence food security of Bulgaria”, stressed Hristanov.
Checks on two public procurements for millions showed negative results. “One costs are replaced with others, inflated quantities and prices, lack of control over implementation and lack of sufficient justification for specific costs. All these elements will be submitted to the Ministry of Interior,” said Hristanov.
”Two weeks ago, we announced with our colleagues from the Ministry of Interior and the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency the start of the “Clean Food” campaign. You see what has come out in recent days - an enterprise in Montana, which fellow journalists reported was supplying food to schools and kindergartens in Vratsa, was closed by inspectors. There are similar cases in the Lovech region, where we see waste and polluted water bodies, as well as in Pleven, where several tons of expired meat were confiscated in a store,” said the minister.