Balgarianovinite.com Bulgaria has set aside EUR 700,000 in extra pay for employees in its hail suppression system, caretaker Minister of Agriculture and Food Ivan Hristanov said on Friday. He spoke during a visit to the Regional Directorate for Hail Suppression in the Sliven village of Staro Selo.
The funds are to be released by a Council of Ministers decision and will be paid as additional compensation, Hristanov added.
Hristanov said the Executive Agency for Hail Suppression had long been undervalued despite its pivotal role in safeguarding farm output. The system protects crops worth tens of millions of leva each year, and direct benefits alone topped BGN 40 million last year, he said.
Hristanov said the system will be expanded with 21 new rocket launch sites to broaden hail protection coverage. Both rocket and aircraft methods are now being used to counter adverse weather.
He added that the system is technically ready for the season, with about 16,000 rockets on hand and additional quantities available if needed.
On pay, Hristanov said the caretaker cabinet has limited room for a lasting wage increase, but such steps will be taken at the first opportunity. Pay in the sector now stands at about EUR 480 a month, which he described as insufficient.
Bulgaria’s active rocket-based hail protection season got under way on Wednesday, April 15, 2026. The system covers nearly 2.2 million hectares of farmland in the regions of Pazardzhik, Plovdiv, Stara Zagora, Haskovo, Sliven, Vidin, Montana, Vratsa and Pleven. Operations will be coordinated from 11 command points and conducted through 262 rocket launch sites nationwide. The Executive Agency for Hail Suppression has secured nearly 16,000 anti-hail rockets for the operations.
In early April, employees of the Executive Agency for Hail Suppression in the Plovdiv village of Golyam Chardak staged a protest, demanding a EUR 250 increase in their basic pay. Government to Set Aside EUR 700,000 in Extra Pay for Hail Suppression Staff 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-04-17 09:33:52 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law