Successful Bulgarian farmer cultivates 4,500 decares of land

Meet Nelka Kostova from the village of Kaspichan. An intelligent, educated and ambitious farmer. "I am a successful farmer thanks to the Rural Development Program and the National Guarantee Fund," she says.

Kostova says that years ago she implemented her first project under the Rural Development Program (RDP) very slowly and with difficulty. "The Guarantee Fund did not exist then. I had to pawn almost everything I had," she recalls.

That is why she decided to turn to NGF for the implementation of her second project under the RDP. "Everything happened very quickly and easily. Within around ten days, my project was approved and received a guarantee from the Fund. We did not pawn anything and we did not pay any fee," Nelka Kostova says.

"Thanks to the RDP projects, I was able to get where I am today. Before that I had 20 animals and no equipment. I gradually managed to increase my land and now I cultivate about 4,500 decares of land. I have four tractors and the milk yield has increased, thanks to the forage trailer. I don’t need as much manpower as I used to before", Mrs. Kostova says with satisfaction. She plans to implement a fourth project under the Rural Development Program by the end of 2015.