site.btaAgriculture Ministry Allows Mowing under Wildfire Prevention Measures

Agriculture Minister Ivan Ivanov issued an addendum to the ban on mowing and mulching as a wildfire precaution from July 22 that applied to Natura 2000 protected areas. The addendum provides for an exception to the ban that would allow farmers to do mowing provided they comply with certain recommendations made by the Ministry of Agriculture.

Prior the addendum, farmers in the protected areas could not do mowing, which made collecting hay to feed their livestock difficult. Now, mowing is allowed provided it is done by hand or with slow mowers, moving from the centre to the periphery or from one end of the area to the other at a low speed.

The implementation of the Rural Development Programme's measure 12 "Natura 2000 and Water framework directive payments", provides that financial assistance shall be granted for compliance with the ban on agricultural activity, as specified in Minister Ivanov's orders.