Health Minister issues order on farmers' markets, farm land cultivation

Bulgarian Health Minister Kiril Ananiev on April 6 issued an order on the operation of cooperative and farmers' markets, farm land cultivation, uninterrupted livestock breeding and animal fodder production.

Municipalities should set up an organization for the functioning of the cooperative and farmers markets, taking into account the specifics such as location, capacity and number of participating producers for the direct supply of small quantities of raw materials and food to end consumers.

The order instructs municipalities to make arrangements protecting sellers and buyers at farmers' markets, including expanding their area and installing barriers to prevent crowding, setting one-way lanes between stalls, provide staff to control customers' access, preventing food contamination, having sellers and buyers wear protective equipment, keeping the required 2 m distance between sellers and buyers and practising personal hygiene and disinfection.

Farmers will be able to access their arable land, and agricultural producers will be able to take to the market vegetables, fruits, planting stock and other produce of their own while complying with all requirements aimed at reducing the risk of Covid-19.

To ensure the uninterrupted raising of farm animals, produce processing and fodder production, when healthy farm workers are quarantined after being in contact with people with confirmed coronavirus, the workers may continue to work with guidelines regarding their movements from home to work, for which they will sign an undertaking, and their employer will provide working conditions safeguarding the rest of the staff. Compliance with personal hygiene requirements and use of personal protective equipment and disinfection is mandatory.

The Health Minister ordered the local authorities to revoke all additional restrictions which are at variance with the Health Act and with the March 13, 2020 State of Emergency Measures and Actions Act.

The order shall be communicated to the regional governors and mayors of enforcement, as well as to the Ministry of Interior, the directors of the regional health inspectorates and the regional food safety directorates for exercising control over the implementation.