ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERN AMONG SHEEP FARMERS IN BULGARIA

The aim of the research was to study the environmental concern among sheep farmers in Bulgaria. Questionnaire information was collected from 22 sheep farmers in Bulgaria about their attitude toward environmental protection. It was found that more than half (66.7%) of farmers fried to purchase on a regular base equipment or raw materials that pollute the environment less. 61.9% of the respondents considered environmental protection to be very high priority for the farm. None of the farmers stated that environmental protection was very low priority for the farm. The surveyed Bulgarian sheep farmers were in general interested in environmental protection, they strove to purchase equipment and raw materials that were safe for the environment, but this wasn't always possible for them mainly due to lack of funds and insufficient awareness of environmental issues. We also concluded that the better competitiveness of the farm led to higher willingness for investing in environment friendly materials and equipment (p < 0.05). There was a tendency for an increase of the environmental concern with the increase of the competitiveness of farms. One of the methods for farmers to protect the environment was by usage of pesticides that did not affect bees and aquatic organisms, and packaging collection. Biggest part of manure and animal bedding were utilized as soil fertilizers. About a third of crop leftovers was used to feed sheep. Another part was used as bedding material. Only 13.6% of farmers used renewable resources and energy: solar photovoltaic and collecting rainwater in micro-dams. 45.5% of the farms had their own water source: water pump and / or micro-dam. A small part of the farmers (13.6%) had certified organic production: they produced organic meat, milk, and fodder.