For what state aid can farmers apply in August

In August applications will be accepted for processing of rose flowers

From 2 to 20 August 2021, the territorial units of the State Fund “Agriculture” will open a scheme under the de minimis aid for compensating part of the costs for processing flowers of oil-bearing rose, harvest 2021. The funds will be paid by 20 September.

The Management Board of the State Fund “Agriculture” approved a budget of BGN 3 million under the aid, which aims to support the rose production and rose processing sector in view of the forthcoming period for harvesting the produced flowers of oil-bearing rose and their purchase.

The implementation of support measures for rose processors will enable them to be additionally encouraged to carry out the process of purchasing the produced flowers of oil-bearing rose by covering part of their costs, which in turn will have a positive effect on the producers of primary agricultural products, minimizing their risk of inability to market their production.

Enterprises processing flowers of oil-bearing rose (Damascena and Alba), registered under the Oil-bearing Rose Act, are eligible for support.

The amount of the aid is BGN 0.30 per kilogram of oil-bearing rose flowers purchased for processing.

In order to receive support, processors must purchase oil-bearing rose in a volume of not less than 70% of the quantity purchased in 2020. The enterprises must have purchased 1 kg of rose flowers from the farmers at a price of not less than BGN 2/kg, VAT excluded. Supporting accounting documents issued with a date up to and including 31 July 2021 are recognized.

The maximum amount of aid that a single rose processor may receive is not more than EUR 200,000 for three consecutive tax years.

Guidelines under the scheme can be found HERE

Two application rounds under Measure “Restructuring and conversion of vineyards” are starting

In the period 29 July – 12 August two application rounds will be held for submission of applications for financial assistance under Measure “Restructuring and conversion of vineyards” from the National Support Programme for the Wine Sector for the period 2019–2023.

The first application round will start on 29 July and will continue until 4 August 2021. During this period applications will be accepted for financial assistance providing for advance payment by 15 October 2021 and completion of activities in financial year 2022.

The second application round will start on 30 July and will continue until 12 August 2021. During this period applications will be accepted for the provision of funds in financial years 2022 and 2023.

 It is envisaged that the applications submitted under the Measure in both application rounds will be examined by 15 October 2021, and the financial assistance under them will be 90% from the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund.

Measure “Restructuring and conversion of vineyards” supports the conversion of the varietal composition of the plantations (grubbing-up, planting and construction of a supporting structure), change of the location of vineyards (grubbing-up, planting and construction of a supporting structure) and improvement of vineyard management techniques (construction of underground drainage collectors, shafts and drainage channels, construction and/or reconstruction of terraces, construction of automated drip irrigation systems, replacement of supporting structure, construction of supporting structure for newly established plantations and change of training system).

Producers who are natural or legal persons or a group or organization of natural or legal persons, entered in the Vineyard Register as producers with registered vineyard holdings under the Wine and Spirits Act, may apply for financial assistance for activities under the Measure.

The maximum amount of financial assistance from the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund until 15.10.2021 is up to 90 percent of the costs for implementation of each specifically defined activity, based on the set ceiling prices under Annex No. 1 to Ordinance No. 6 of 26.10.2018 and the technological card to the investment project, compared with three submitted offers. As of 17.07.2020, for each operation specified in the technological card, at least three comparable independent original offers must be provided, containing the name of the offeror, the validity period of the offer, the date of issue of the offer, signature and stamp of the offeror, price in BGN or EUR indicating VAT.

Documents under the Measure are submitted personally or through an authorized person at the Central Office of the State Fund “Agriculture”, 3 Gusla Str., “Wine, Promotional Programmes and Licences” Department, after a pre-booked appointment at one of the following telephone numbers: 02/81 87 513, 02/8187 517, 02/8187 534, 02/8187 505, 02/8187 514 and 02/8187 396. In order to avoid large gatherings of people, applicants are kindly requested to strictly observe the pre-booked time slots.

Beekeepers may submit applications for payment under the National Beekeeping Programme for 2021 until mid-August

Beekeepers who have fulfilled their contracts under the National Beekeeping Programme (NBP) may submit applications for payment until 16 August 2021 at the regional directorates of the State Fund “Agriculture”.

Nearly BGN 730 thousand is the amount of financial assistance paid so far by the State Fund “Agriculture” under the National Beekeeping Programme (NBP) for 2021. From 1 June 2021, when the acceptance of applications for payment under the Programme started, more than 500 applications have been received to date.

For each of the activities specified in the contract under the NBP measures, a separate application for payment may be submitted.

All applicants under the Beekeeping Programme must have incurred their approved costs in the period from 1 August of the previous financial year (2020) to 31 July (2021) of the financial year for which they have applied. An important requirement is that the applicant must have a valid registration as an agricultural producer in the Register of Agricultural Producers of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, must have submitted up-to-date information on the apiaries and the number of bee colonies in the register of apiaries maintained by the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency, must have no liabilities to the state budget and must have no criminal convictions.

The submitted applications for payment are subject to both administrative checks and on-the-spot checks regarding the implementation of the activities under the contract.