According to the German veterinary authorities, no dioxin-contaminated animal feed has been imported to Bulgaria. The information was received Wednesday via the EU Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF), the National Veterinary Service said.

As much as 3,000 tonnes of animal feed believed contaminated with dioxin was distributed to more than 1,000 poultry and hog farms in eight German states, the German government said on Wednesday, quoted by Reuters.

Currently, there is no data of animal feed imported from the Netherlands where the source of the dioxin contamination has been traced to.

According to experts of Bulgaria's Association of Poultry Breeders, poultry farms in Bulgaria use only animal feed made with unrefined sunflower oil, which makes dioxin contamination impossible.

The National Veterinary Service also said that the government would discontinue payments to private veterinary practices under the programme for prevention of animal diseases and pest infestation as this violates EU regulations that such payments may be disbursed for up to four years after Bulgaria's entry to
the EU.

Private vets have been offered to conclude individual contracts or animal marking, uploading data in the information system of the National Veterinary Service and for issuing of documents on the movement of live animals.

Under pending changes to the Veterinary Practices Act, farmers will be able to choose which veterinary practices to work with and will pay for their services. In the past two years alone, the government has paid private veterinary practices over 23 million leva, the press release says.