Key Bulgaria Agriculture Chief Fired

06 November 2008 Sofia – A week after milk producers protested in Sofia over unsolved issues in their sector, Bulgaria’s Agriculture Minister has dismissed Zheko Baichev, the general director of the National Veterinary Service.

“I met with (Agriculture Minister Valery) Tsvetanov earlier in the day and we shook hands and parted on good terms. I have nothing to be ashamed of about the four years I spent as head of the National Veterinary Service,” Baichev said after the news emerged.

A ministry statement on the matter said only that Baichev was dismissed because of the need to optimise the work of the National Veterinary Service and the need to expand its activity.
Another reason was the delay of the implementation of a database system that is supposed to register all farmers’ stock in Bulgaria. 
The statement said nothing about the ongoing protests by dairy producers who want the ministry to pay them the promised state subsidies dating back to March.

The ministry has been in constant negotiations with the farmers on when they will resume.
However last month, Tsvetanov pledged unpaid subsidies to Bulgarian milk producers will be provided between December 1 and 15