Stefan Dimitrov from "Invisible Animals" in front of FACTS: We collected 110,000 signatures so that there will be no mor

After many signals that prompted inspections, a poultry farm was closed some time ago because the animals were being raised in poor conditions. The Food Agency carried out inspections, wrote prescriptions, and finally “put the padlock“. “Invisible Animals“ are now raising the topic… Stefan Dimitrov from the eco-organization speaks to FACTS.

- Mr. Dimitrov, from “Invisible Animals“ you are launching a new campaign so that not a single calf will soon be raised in a small cage in Bulgaria. Why is this important…
- Because it is a question of values and morality. How do we treat the most defenseless and innocents is a sign of what kind of society we are in. And it is hard to argue that a baby calf is not innocent and deserves to spend months - from birth, crammed into a narrow concrete cell barely larger than its own body. With no way out, hour after hour, day after day and week after week. This calf can barely turn over, let alone lie down comfortably, and we are talking about an animal that is extremely playful and needs to run, jump and play with other calves. This is the most natural thing for it, but all of this has been brutally taken away from it. Instead, it is subjected to extreme, constant isolation in this small cage.

People in Bulgaria understand very clearly that this is not normal and cannot happen. We cannot allow violence and cruelty against animals in our homeland and expect anything to change for the better.

The petition with 110,000 signatures that we submitted in the National Assembly, is eloquent enough in itself. And separately, sociological surveys show that 76% of Bulgarians support a ban on calf cages according to MarketLinks.
Moreover, this is also about the sustainability and development of Bulgarian production, because I have personally spoken to a huge number of farmers. They understand that the future is without cages, that this will be better for both the animal and the farmer.

- What is the current practice? What part of the animals are raised like this?
- According to data and expert assessments of the Institute of Agrarian Economics, part of the SSA at the Ministry of Agriculture, about 25-35 thousand calves per year are raised in cages. This is about 40-50% of all calves in dairy cattle breeding and about a quarter of all 105 thousand calves in total in the country. In beef cattle breeding, the confinement of calves in cages is not done at all.

There are about 12 thousand cow farms in Bulgaria. Over 11 thousand of them are small, family-run and they do not use calf cages.

Calf cages are found only in some of the largest 200-300 cow farms. But even among them, more and more people are seeing the benefits of returning to the traditional and more natural way of raising cattle, without cages, in the so-called “calf kindergartens“. And these are leading farmers in the industry. For example, Dimitar Shopov, chairman of the Association for Black and White Cattle, which 60% of farmers are members of, has already taken measures. He is a medium-sized farmer from Dobrich and has already removed the cages for over a year. He personally told me that there is simply no basis for comparison. The calves feel much better, they run, jump, play a lot and are very happy. Nothing to do with these cages. And for him, everything starts with the calf and its development, because then it will become a heifer and then a dairy cow. On top of that, in this way he also solves part of the problem with the lack of labor, which is huge, because this gives him the opportunity to implement new technologies, for example in feeding calves. There are already dozens of examples like this in our country. Because this is the future. And it is right for the state to play its role, to support the industry in these efforts for modernization and sustainability, to respond to the huge public desire to ban calf cages.

- You had a campaign in front of the National Assembly. What is the effect…
- On August 19, we submitted over 110,000 signatures to the National Assembly and the Ministry of Agriculture.
At the event there were farmers, veterinarians, MPs from various parliamentary groups, as well as artists and public figures who came to express their support in person. We submitted the petition and now a hearing is coming up in the Committee for Direct Citizen Participation, as well as in the Committee on Agriculture in the National Assembly, and then I expect a legislative initiative. Because there are dozens of MPs - almost all parliamentary groups - who stand behind the request to ban calf cages. Because the cause is non-partisan, universal and all-Bulgarian. We also submitted the petition to the Ministry of Agriculture, where he received us personally and we held a meeting with Deputy Minister Stefan Burdzhev. We came to the conclusion with him that we have no differences of views and this is the direction in which Bulgarian livestock farming should develop – both for the good of the animals, the farmer, and society.

- How many times have you mentioned the petition. How do so many people unite behind one idea?
- When there is an issue that is so clear, so indisputable, then there can be no unity.
Regarding the protection of animals in general, Bulgarians are extremely categorical and are becoming more and more categorical. We saw it in the spring with the many thousands of protests against the abusers from Pernik – the case with the porn videos in which various animals were tortured. Many thousands of protests, for weeks, not only in Sofia, but in dozens, if not hundreds of settlements throughout Bulgaria. A little over a month ago, the National Assembly adopted key changes to the Penal Code, with which animals in our country are protected from violence like never before. A few weeks ago, the court upheld the ban on mink farms, which finally put an end to this madness in Bulgaria.
When it comes to calf cages, it is not only about obvious cruelty against some of the most innocent animals - newborn calves - but it is also about something that can bring benefits to the farmers themselves. Behind this cause is morality, behind it is economics, behind it is science and practice, and behind it is common sense. Therefore, it is no surprise to me that people identify themselves en masse with this cause.

- Many MPs defended the request. Parliament resumed work. What's next...
- A hearing of the petition in the National Assembly will follow, and then I expect a legislative initiative. I expect the National Assembly to move forward with the changes to the law as soon as possible, because there are dozens of MPs who support the request to ban calf cages. And from almost all parliamentary groups.

- How do Bulgarian farmers view this?
- I have personally spoken to a huge number of them. From ordinary farmers to leaders in the industry. They have either already switched en masse to modern group rearing of calves, without cages, or are planning to do so, but do not have the funds, and that is precisely why the state must introduce this new standard by law and financially support them to switch to it.

I see not fear, but hunger for this change among Bulgarian farmers en masse.

They show me drawings, they show me where they plan, where and how they want to raise their calves when they remove the cages. People understand that this is the future. They understand that when the calf feels good, it will thank them later, when it becomes a dairy cow. They also understand that when they do not confine calves in individual cages, farmers will be able to implement new technologies and largely solve their problem with the lack of labor, which is ubiquitous.
There are only a few who are still skeptical about this innovation and at the same time a return to a more traditional way of raising cattle. People who perhaps simply have not yet seen how good a calf can look, how good a calf can feel, when it is not confined in a small cage from birth. Who have not seen the thriving farms in our country, which have long since eliminated their cages. There are more and more of them, from small to medium to large, leaders in the industry. I would say only one thing to the skeptics - visit these farms. Talk to these farmers. Read the science. Your concerns will be answered.

- How long will it take for farmers to organize?
- According to the recent socio-economic analysis of the Institute of Agrarian Economics, part of the SAA at the Ministry of Agriculture, this transition could easily happen within 3-5 years, especially with state support. This is because the investments needed are minimal - in total for the entire industry in Bulgaria we are talking about a sum of around 1.4-1.6 million euros. This is nothing for the state budget. In the mass case, where there are cages at the moment, it will simply be a question of building an enclosure in place of the calf cages, let's say with a shed. And that's it. The existing equipment could even be used in many places and nothing new would even have to be bought.
That is why, according to the Institute of Agrarian Economics, no significant economic negatives are expected from this transition, and on the contrary, benefits can be expected.