Еco-scheme for green manuring and organic fertilization

From 2023 farmers will be able to receive additional funds under the Eco-scheme for preservation and restoration of soil potential (promotion of green manuring and organic fertilisation), set out in the Strategic Plan of Bulgaria.

The objective of the Eco-scheme for preservation and restoration of soil potential (promotion of green manuring and organic fertilisation), which will start in 2023 for Bulgarian farmers, is to reduce the quantities of applied artificial fertilisers by replacing them with organic soil improvers. The scheme will be applicable for arable land, permanent crops and permanent grassland.

The planned budget for the promotion of green manuring and organic fertilisation for the upcoming year 2023 amounts to EUR 24,395,328.27, and the total funding for the entire programming period until 2027 is EUR 108,230,177. The indicative annual rate for each of the years in the period 2023–2027 is EUR 52.87/ha, or BGN 10.36/da.

The Eco-scheme may be applied to different types of agricultural areas in the holding and producers will have the possibility to decide with which areas they will participate without being required to do so with their entire holding. For a single agricultural area, support may be received for only one of the possible practices.

Farmers will be able to apply on the agricultural areas in their holdings, with which they choose to participate in the climate- and environment-friendly Eco-scheme, one of the following options:

A) Input of nutrients into the soil through the cultivation of non-productive catch/cover crops with subsequent green manuring. They must be present in the field from 15 October of the year of application until 15 February of the following year.

B) Input of nutrients into the soil through the use of external organic soil improvers obtained through a process of:

•    aerobic treatment of waste biomass;

•    anaerobic treatment of waste biomass;

•    biological treatment of waste biomass by means of worms;

•    thermal treatment of waste biomass.

The Eco-scheme for preservation and restoration of soil potential (promotion of green manuring and organic fertilisation) has been created in response to the need to improve soil quality by limiting the processes of water and wind erosion, maintaining a balance of soil organic matter reserves, maintaining a low nitrogen and phosphorus footprint in soils and applying optimised and sustainable use of plant protection products, mineral fertilisers and organic fertilisers.