Necessity and opportunities for the labour force qualification improvement in agriculture

N. Malamova

Abstract: The article’s aim is the analysis of the conformity degree between the agricultural producers’ qualification level and the new requirements. Estimation has been made of the contributions of SAPARD pre-accession program and of the Rural development program’s (RDP) potential for the farmers qualification improvement. The following qualification structure of agricultural producers in Bulgaria has been outlined: The predominant part of producers have the basic qualification level; Not more than 10% have the second qualification level (“experienced level”); Less than 5% have third and forth qualification levels (“supervisor” and “manager”). The contributions of the RDP Measures 111 and 143 for the agricultural producers qualification development at this stage is minimal. The concluded agreements for training under Measure 111 of RDP intend the training of barely 5% of agricultural producers. There is a minimal progress of the purposes accomplishment. The analysis results warrant some recommendations for practical action to improve access of farmers to the necessary training, consultancy and information services, namely: - Joint-action between the National agricultural advisory service (NAAS) and local authorities to organize outreach and training courses for farmers in the rural communities; - increase the personnel of the territorial units of NAAS. The composition of more than one third of the regional offices needs to be supplemented by experts from major professional fields of agriculture (agronomists, zooinzheners, agroikonomists); - increase the motivation of the beneficiaries under Measure 114 (“Making use of advisory services by farmers and forest owners”) of RDP, provision of environmental consulting services and those of farm management by increasing the value of the maximum eligible expenditure of such services to the value of the maximum eligible expenditure for technological advice.

Keywords: agriculture; CAP; Programme for Rural Development; qualification

Date published: 2018-03-06