Methodi, who holds a degree, has, in his words, become a "livestock farmer by necessity." Methodi lives with his family of four children in Northwestern Bulgaria, raising 23 buffalo, 180 sheep, 20 goats, and cultivating 140 acres of land. He's been at it for 22 years.
In the 18 years, since he got married, his family has had only nine days of rest.
"We've worn ourselves out a lot... our youth passed in a lot of work," he says.
Our conversation included disappointment and fatigue, anger, but also beautiful and bright moments, joy, dedication, and love.
Methodi shared interesting insights and ideas on what can be done to revive Bulgarian livestock farming. Not just for livestock farmers like him, but for all of us to have genuine and pure Bulgarian food.
WATCH THE VIDEO TO SEE AND UNDERSTAND:
0:00 Methodi's Farm
0:36 17-year-old Plamen milking buffalo by hand
2:08 Plamen fully involved in the farm's work and management
3:13 How Methodi became a livestock farmer
3:32 What Plamen will do first when the farm becomes his
4:21 Current situation with milk purchasing in Northwestern Bulgaria
4:45 How and when Methodi started with animals and where he is now
5:20 How much land Methodi cultivates and what he plants
5:48 Milk processing
6:16 Quality of buffalo milk
6:30 About buffaloes - special, intelligent, and undemanding
6:33 Applying for subsidies - Measure 10 - Agroecology, Endangered Breeds, and Breeding Control
8:45 "Paragraph 22" or the regulatory framework for livestock subsidies
11:02 Assistance for livestock farmers from Agriculture Fund and Regional Agriculture Directorate in Montana
12:03 What 80% of dairy products sold in the commercial network are made of
12:39 Experiment with milk from a small producer and milk from the commercial network. The results?
13:20 Cooperatives for small and medium livestock farmers? Why not?
14:22 A glimpse of the farmers' protest on September 19, 2023
14:39 Who will manage the farm after November when Methodi steps down
14:51 Do you know how livestock farming is in Greece?
15:42 An example from Slovakia of a 3 million leva investment without Euro subsidies
16:50 Where to start in Bulgaria or can animals exist without land and farms without infrastructure?
18:08 How farmers are helped in Turkey
18:23 How in Bulgaria, 250 sheep are raised without electricity and water and how a livestock farmer helped himself
19:18 What happens when a dairy doesn't pay you for milk for 10 years?
19:34 Methodi's attitude towards livestock farming, animals, and his work... despite the hardships
21:14 How buffaloes are raised
21:56 Bulgarian livestock farming once and now... and in the future
25:42 Methodi's family restaurant.
28:52 Agricultural producer with higher education
29:16 Final screen
Enjoy watching.
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