MP Ferhat questions why €80 million in EU Agricultural Funds were not distributed to farmers
Özgür Ferhat, Member of Parliament for Rhodope with the New Left, has submitted a parliamentary question to the Minister of Rural Development and Food, urging that unused funds from the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) be directed to small-scale producers.
Ferhat recalled that in 2023, approximately €80 million in CAP funds went unused and were returned to the EU instead of being allocated to farmers. Warning that a similar situation may occur in 2024, he stressed:
“Thousands of small farmers and livestock breeders — tobacco growers, cotton producers, olive farmers, cherry growers, and beekeepers — are struggling with rising costs and low incomes. In such a period, resources should not be sent back to Brussels but distributed directly to our producers.”
The MP emphasized that Rhodope’s economy relies heavily on agriculture and livestock, with limited alternative income sources such as tourism. As such, he argued, the loss of CAP funds has an especially severe impact on the region.
In his parliamentary question, Ferhat asked the Minister:
- Why are CAP funds not being directed to small producers?
- What measures will the Ministry take to prevent these funds from being returned to the EU?
- Are there specific support plans for tobacco, cotton, olives, beekeeping, cherries, and small-scale livestock arming?
- Why are these products excluded from the “permanent crops” support framework?
Ferhat concluded:
“The proper use of CAP funds is not only crucial for the future of our farmers and breeders but also for the economic and social stability of rural areas. Regions like Rhodope, which depend on agriculture, must not be overlooked.”
