80 Roma families from the Plovdiv region in southern Bulgaria have received financial assistance to start an agricultural business.

The "LAND – Source of Income" program with the support of the America for Bulgaria Foundation are offering low-interest micro-credit schemes so that the landless Roma families can purchase land and agricultural equipment and have access to a certain amount of working capital.

Some of the participants in the program have developed businesses which won subsidies under operational programs managed by the State Fund Agriculture.

The aim of the LAND – Source of Income" program is to provide land and employment to landless people from the minorities.

The initiative has already helped for the creation of small agricultural businesses in Perushtitsa, Parvomai and the villages near Plovdiv and Pazardzhik.

Ilia Iliev from the village of Chaloukovi near Plovdiv has bought 32 decares of arable land on a low-interest loan which he will be paying back to the foundation for 5 years.

He is growing peppers, tomatoes and garlic.