TAIEX Workshop on Agricultural Advisory Services in the EU Kiev, Ukraine February 2016 Formation and transformation of the agricultural and rural advisory service in the post-socialist countries Emanuela Dimitrova National Agricultural Advisory Service (NAAS), Bulgaria

Formation and transformation of agricultural and rural advisory service in Bulgaria Basic periods 1 st period - Year 1902 – Year 1995 Advisory service – subsidiary activity for scientific workers; The agricultural advisory activity dated before 1989; Year It was set up the first experimental and research station in Bulgaria (Sadovo); Year 1961 – It was set up the Academy of Agricultural sciences (from 1982-Agricultaral academy; National Centre for Agricultural Sciences; Agricultaral academy)

Formation and transformation of agricultural and rural advisory service in Bulgaria Bulgarian agricultural system had a clear top-down structure. The agricultural consultancy activity was mostly informally organised and oriented to the technical aspects of production. Agricultural education (higher – universities and lower - professional agricultural schools) was governed by the Ministry of Agriculture until After reforms, higher education was transferred to the Ministry of Education, Youth and Science in Bulgaria while lower professional education in agriculture still belonged to MAF. Agricultural research was mainly carried out by universities and research institutes. Most of the research institutes dealing with agricultural issues were (and still are) part of the Agricultural Academy funded by MAF.

Formation and transformation of agricultural and rural advisory service in Bulgaria After November 1989 Bulgaria farms were structured by three groups: small scale farmers operated by people close to retirement, cooperatives, most of them with bad financial situations and large commercial farms. There were a number of cooperatives that were used as demonstration farms, with an objective of establishing private extension services, but they weren’t successful, so the government decided to establish a National System of Agricultural Extension with external financial assistance (FAO, 2005). In 1995, the National System of Agricultural Extension was created by agreement between the Agricultural Academy and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry. It was built with the technical and financial support of the PHARE Programme - Agriculture (in the framework of two projects) for the period

Formation and transformation of agricultural and rural advisory service in Bulgaria 2 nd period - Year 1995 – Year 2000 Increasing the role of advisory activities and preparation for separation the advisory activities in independent body In 1995, the National System of Agricultural Extension was created by agreement between the Agricultural Academy and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry. It was built with the technical and financial support of the PHARE Programme - Agriculture (in the framework of two projects) for the period

Formation and transformation of agricultural and rural advisory service in Bulgaria 3 rd period - Year 2000 – up to now The establishment and functioning of separated body for providing advisory services After 2000, the state advisory body (National Agricultural Advisory Services - NAAS) in Bulgaria was officially founded. NAAS was established in 1999 based on the Law on Agricultural Academy and it started real activities in October NAAS is created by separation from current Agricultural Academy; The NAAS is a legal entity budget funded with headquarters in Sofia (NAAS is subordinated to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food) and territorial units in the country. Capacity building of the NAAS experts was carried out since its creation and continues intensively during PHARE projects. During these projects, intensive training of NAAS experts was conducted in order to meet the needs of farmers and to help them to learn the new duties linked to the CAP. Since 2000, the NAAS participated in several international projects, where some of them are designed to strengthen the capacity of the staff mainly in various aspects of the CAP: sustainable land management, rural development, development of organic farming, developing strategies and management of agricultural organizations, etc.

Who provide advisory service in Bulgaria these days Public sector – Ministry of Agriculture and Food including National Agricultural Advisory Service (NAAS); Private advisory sector - independent advisors, international trade organizations, regional suppliers, farm-based organisations (co-operatives and few producer groups); Educational and research organisations and non- government organisations – professional association and foundations

Ministry of Agriculture and Food (First level administration – own budget) NAAS (Second level administration –budget defined by the MAF) MAF Directorates on central level Other agency to the MAF (second level administration) MAF Regional Directorates (28) MAF Municipalities offices (over 260) NAAS Regional offices (27) Their Regional Directorates

National agricultural advisory service (NAAS) Full coverage of the country; Headquarters in Sofia; 27 Regional Offices; Center for vocational training /CVT/; Analytical laboratory; Over 100 advisors.

ADVISORY SERVICE UNDER BULGARIAN RDP Measure 143 “Provision of farm advisory and extension services in Bulgaria and Romania “ (RDP ). Measure 114 “Use by farmers and forestry holders of advisory services” (RDP ); RDP Measure 2 “Advisory services, farm management and farm relief services”: - Providing special advisory package under Operation Advisory services for farmers and forest holders; - Submeasure 2.3. Support for the training of advisors RDP Thematic sub - programme for the development of small farms: - Submeasure 2.1, operation Providing advisory services to small farms - 6 package of advisory services including development of projects under RDP (Measure 4. “Investments in physical assets”, 6.3 “Setting up activities for development of small farms” and 6.4. “Investments for non- agricultural activities” - Sub-measure 2.2 Setting up advisory services - creating a mobile community centres at NAAS (by 50);

Measure 143 “Provision of farm advisory and extension services in Bulgaria and Romania“ According to Bulgarian RDP , National Agricultural Advisory Service was single beneficiary under this measure; NAAS developed business plans and application forms free of charge for farmers for different RDP measures (until ) and also: - advice on addressing environmental protection problems (water pollution, soil erosion, bio-diversity, climate change); - advice on relevant statutory management requirements and Bulgarian Good Agricultural and Environmental Conditions (GAEC) – cross compliance; NAAS provided advisory services for farm management and for plant production and livestock production to approved under M 141 semi- subsistance farmers (until );

Measure 143 “Provision of farm advisory and extension services in Bulgaria and Romania“ The number of projects /business plans/ made by experts of NAAS free of charge from the start of the measure 143 ( ) by is as follows:

RDP MEASURE 114 “USE BY FARMERS AND FORESTRY HOLDERS OF ADVISORY SERVICES” The main objective of measure was support farmers and forest holders to improve the sustainable management of their holdings by using advisory services For farmers the set of advisory services included the following activities: - Compulsory advisory services (Group A) – the coverage of a minimum volume of these services was obligatory; - Additional advisory services - to be selected by the farmer (Group B) – their coverage was optional. Group A. Compulsory advisory services in their full volume - Assessment of the overall performance of agricultural holdings and identifying improvements on the statutory management requirements and the good agricultural and environmental condition; -Community standards relating to occupational safety. At least one visit to the agricultural holding, which should be related to preliminary assessment of the overall performance of the agricultural holding in accordance with the minimum referred to above point. Group B. Additional advisory services to be selected by the farmer (depending on the type and size of the agricultural holding and its production line). Farmers choosed one or more of the following components: -B.1. Advisory services regarding the management of the agricultural holding; -B.2. Specific advisory services in the area of plant-growing and/or stock-breeding; -B.3. Preparing the full application set for the agri-environmental activities under measure 214 “Agri- environmental payments”.

RDP MEASURE 114 “USE BY FARMERS AND FORESTRY HOLDERS OF ADVISORY SERVICES” Users of advisory services had to apply to the Paying Agency (PA) for approval of their eligibility as beneficiaries under the measure After inclusion in the register of eligible beneficiaries under the measure farmers/forest owners choosed an Advisor who was in the list of those selected to provide advisory services under the measure and signed a contract with him for a set of advisory services; For providing advisory services between the Adviser and the farmer/forest holder a contract was signed, which had to indicate the selected range of advisory services (specifying the components of group 2 for the farmers), the work schedule and the pay scheme The amount of the financial support for using advisory services by beneficiaries was 80 % of the total eligible costs without exceeding the maximum total amount of €1500 per set of advisory services The minimum eligible expenditure per set of advisory services was EUR 240. The maximum eligible expenditure per hour of advisory services was EUR 30; 12 advisory organization were included in the register; Only 113 farmers and forest holders applied under the measure;

RDP Measure 2 “Advisory services, farm management and farm relief services” Measure 2 “Advisory services, farm management and farm relief services” – RDP including: - Providing special advisory package for young farmers under Operation Advisory services for farmers and forest holders including development of business plan and application for submeasure 6.1. for support of young farmers Results: for period NAAS prepared 1327 projects of young farmers;

RDP Measure 2 “Advisory services, farm management and farm relief services” Submeasure 2.1, operation Providing advisory services to small farms - 6 package of advisory services including development of projects under RDP (Measure 4. “Investments in physical assets”, 6.3 “Setting up activities for development of small farms” and 6.4. “Investments for non- agricultural activities” Sub-measure 2.2 Setting up advisory services - creating a mobile centres on municipality at NAAS (by 50);

Sub-measure 2.2 Setting up advisory services - creating a mobile centres on municipality at NAAS (by 50) Extend NAAS through establishing of up to 50 offices on municipality level; Over 100 advisors more; Advisors will be close to the farmers; NAAS will cover the country on district and on municipality level;

Thank you for your attention! Emanuela Dimitrova Senior expert in General Directorate “Agricultural advices and Analytical Laboratory” National Agricultural Advisory Service (NAAS), 7 “Shosse Bankja” street; 1331 Sofia, Bulgaria