Pasture Shortage and Sheep Pox Are Main Challenges for Livestock Farmers, says Association at Annual Meeting 2025

Balgarianovinite.com Since the beginning of the year, 191 outbreaks of sheep pox in small ruminants have been confirmed in eight regions of Bulgaria, with Plovdiv region being the most affected, accounting for 143 outbreaks. Of these, 17 outbreaks remain active due to farmers’ refusal to cull infected animals, said Daniel Denev, Head of the Animal Health Department at the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency (BFSA), during the Annual Forum of the National Sheep and Goat Breeders Association. The event is being held in Hisarya under the motto “You Are Not Alone! Sheep Farming in Times of Crisis”, marking the 15th anniversary of the Association.
Due to these 17 unresolved cases, there is a risk that the ban on the movement and trade of sheep and goats in the region of Plovdiv may not be lifted on February 4 2026, as scheduled. Tsveta Karayancheva, Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture, Food and Forestry, has committed to hold a meeting at the end of January next year to find a solution to the problem.
Denev noted that the deadlines and steps farmers must take to restore their facilities in zones where bans have been lifted will be published on the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency website. He added that this depends on the dynamics of the outbreaks and whether new cases occur.
Another problem highlighted by forum participants is the insufficient area and high rental prices of municipal pastures. Participants noted that upcoming changes to the Agricultural Land Ownership and Use Act will set pasture rents at market rates, returning them to 2024 levels.
Outgoing Deputy Agriculture Minister Lozana Vasileva said that in recent years, sheep and goat farming has developed under a challenging business environment, with the outbreaks of sheep pox currently being the most pressing issue. In 2025, targeted de minimis aid of BGN 2.2 million was provided as compensation for restrictions. In addition, due to drought and limited resources, an extra budget of BGN 36 million was allocated. The transitional national aid for ewes and mother goats for the 2025 campaign, totaling BGN 19.4 million, has been paid. On Friday, funds under coupled support – 10 interventions amounting to EUR 122 million were also transferred, reaching nearly 11,500 farmers. In 2026, the indicative annual programme will include 11 calls for applications totaling EUR 440 million, Vasileva added.
Simeon Karakolev, co-chair of the National Sheep and Goat Breeders Association, noted that the association has nearly 400 members. He emphasized that thanks to the association, numerous legislative changes and sector reforms have been implemented. Pasture Shortage and Sheep Pox Are Main Challenges for Livestock Farmers, says Association at Annual Meeting 2025 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2025-12-13 16:01:00 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