In the wake of their massive protests, Bulgaria's milk producers insisted that Bulgaria should strike a new deal with the EU over milk subsidies.

Bulgaria's government must provide between BGN 70 and 80 M annually which translates into BGN 0,20 per liter of milk, they pointed out at a press conference on Thursday.

The BGN 10,8 M subsidy allowed by the EU is not sufficient, and in the words of farmers' representatives would cover only two or three months.

Tencho Tenev, the spokesperson of the milk producers' association from the city of Stara Zagora, said there must be a renegotiation of the terms with the European Commission in order to extend the subsidy so that the producers could arrange for new funds with the Bulgarian government.

The farmers do expect the money for milk subsidies to be over by the end of March. However, they are hopeful there would be an affirmative decision of the European Commission to allow for the allocation of additional funds by the end of the year.

The milk producers also pointed out that the milk and forage subsidies from the Ministry of Agriculture would reach them at the end of February at the earliest, which would endanger the survival of the sector.

"It turns out we have to go through much trouble each month to provide the necessary documentation only to receive the money too late", Tencho Tenev added.

In addition, the Bulgarian government is urged to give out BGN 147 M in aid to the plant-growing sector.

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