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Producers of all walnuts are affected, promising to help with winter spraying.
Producers of hazelnuts, almonds and walnuts are among the few subsectors of our agriculture that have practically no support.
We are also a fruit species, but unlike other fruits, we do not have a tied support, nor “de minimis”, nor fumigation in winter. In practice, we were also excluded from the emergency support measure due to COVID-19, “Chassa Ilias Sarnuk from the National Association of Nut Producers and Processors told 24.
The only subsidies for those who choose to produce walnuts are direct area payments and green payments. However, they are minimal in the context of the costs to farmers. In the first years they only need to invest, to plant and grow young plants until they enter fruiting. For hazelnuts, this is after 4-5 years, and for walnuts and later, 6-7 years or more. Only then do the first income begin to arrive.
Until 2016, walnuts got the call. attached bracket. However, they were later withdrawn from sensitive sectors and were left without subsidies. Due to the change, they also lose 19 points for the priority sector when requesting investments in farms under the measures of the Rural Development Program. This prevented farmers who managed to plant orchards from the first PDR receptions from developing their farms with irrigation systems and acquiring machinery.
The lack of specific support for hazelnut, almond and walnut producers is due to the fact that
no more
answer
of the conditions
for forced
support for
and a sensitive sector, because its areas have increased many times in recent years, explained the Ministry of Agriculture. According to statistics, for example, walnuts in 2011 were 835 hectares, in 2015 they became 3034 ha, to reach 18 484 ha in 2016. O
for 5 years
growth is over
20 times
There was also a large increase in hazelnuts and almonds. Therefore, they were included in the restricted group and all shellfish were left unsubsidized. In general, walnuts, almonds and hazelnuts in our country exceeded 250 thousand acres and are more than 1/3 of all areas with perennials, which in 2019 are 733 890 acres. The young orchards, which did not bear fruit in the three species of shell, are just over 113 thousand decares.
“The statistics are in the ministry, it must be like that,” commented Ilias Sarnuk. According to him, however, it should be seen
what is stopped
behind the numbers
Because despite the astonishing increase in areas, production as a harvest is the same in recent years. It was not enough to satisfy even the domestic market.
The question is to what extent these area growths are real and whether a harvest can be expected from them, depending on the organization of the branch. For example, in the case of walnut, the large increase came from the inclusion in the statistics of plantations in forests, which were from the 70s of the last century. However, there was almost no harvest from them. It was done for a time just for the grants.
The walnuts also had a large gray patch of trees by the roadside, which the gypsies collected and offered like walnuts at the market. With hazelnuts and almonds, things were more under control because the plantations were almost completely new. Those who are from socialism have already been isolated in practice because they have passed their period of depreciation, which is about 30 years.
“We should not put all the people under a common denominator, there are those who have planted based on the market, because they know that there is a perspective in the nuts,” said Sarnuk. But there have also been a lot of distortions, especially in the Young Farmer measure. There, many stabbed with a stick because they thought the nuts were grown on their own and spent the BGN 50,000 subsidy on cars. Such plantations could not be expected to bear fruit. However, these areas were included in the statistics and prevented actual producers from receiving aid.
A few weeks ago, members of the Walnut Branch Association met in Kazanlak to discuss the situation in the sector. They were all unanimous in that
should
are fighting for
equality
with other sectors On July 22, the association held a meeting with the Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Verginia Krasteva. It was clear to her that for the emergency measure for COVID-19 no changes could be made at the last minute. That is why the sector could only apply in the second direction, in which, however, only BGN 30 is given per employee. And in the nut farms most of the activities were automated and 5 people with machines were able to cultivate 500 decares of gardens without any problem. Therefore, there was no real support for the measure. At the same time, higher compensation in the first direction for COVID-19 was even for ornamental trees.
“There is a possibility that we are included in the winter sprays,” said Ilias Sarnuk. We are currently working with the institute in Plovdiv and with leading agronomists and a post will be sent to the ministry. We hope to get approval and eventually at least one measure applied to us, the industry association said. Overall, the conversation with Deputy Minister Krasteva was positive and the sector is expected to receive support in the new programming period. It has been agreed that in the next 1-2 years the ministry will do the same
full review
of the sector
and to rule out which plantations are old, which are new, from which production can be expected and from which not. This could lead to more correct figures on which to argue for government policies. And there would be traceability and quality control of production.
Otherwise, many saw the prospects in walnut production in Bulgaria. Our country had competitive advantages with wonderful natural and climatic conditions for nuts, as well as traditions in their cultivation. Everyone who has tried a Bulgarian walnut liked its taste.
“If we develop properly and remove obstacles, we can produce so much that we will not be able to fulfill export orders,” said Ilias Sarnuk. But we had to learn not only to offer a product, but only one that is in demand in a market. Foreign investors were also interested in growing hazelnuts, almonds and walnuts in Bulgaria. For example, recently a Spanish company was looking for 60 decares of land for an almond nursery.
We do not want miracles and to be a priority, we just want to be equal to other industries, explained the dried fruit association. Now
the sector itself
developed with
only about 10%
of its potential
and if we do not renew, reorganize and improve our production and processing processes, in a few years our country would be out of the market.
The purchase must be only of registered points and after September 5
Prohibit the collection of walnuts before September 5 and buy only at registered points. This is offered by the Nut Producers Association.
In recent years, Gypsies have been picking nuts on the roads and in the woods since the end of August, when the nuts are not fully cooked. This was a waste of the crop.
If the purchase is only from registered points of sale, there will be traceability of the nuts, because at the moment nobody knows where they are from and what they are, the branch officials said.
Therefore, consistent quality could not be guaranteed. Due to this huge gray sector, the state also lost taxes and revenue for the treasury.
90% of hazelnuts are used in baking
90% of the hazelnut harvest is processed in the confectionery industry. 85% of the demand is concentrated in Europe.
The largest producer of hazelnuts is our southern neighbor Turkey and in particular the regions near the southern Black Sea coast. In the last 10 years, the areas with hazelnuts in other traditional producers such as Italy and the United States, as well as in new countries such as Chile and Australia, have been increasing.
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