Agriculture
News about agriculture — harvests, subsidies, markets, policies, and challenges facing farmers.
The Bulgarian Minister of Agriculture presents key proposals for the reform of the CAP and the EU fisheries.
The Minister of Agriculture and Food, Dr. Georgi Takhov, presented Bulgaria's position on the draft EU Regulation to facilitate the work of farmers and administration. Bulgaria supports the proposals, but insists on additional funding and the removal of administrative burden. Our country also insists on preserving the independence and strategic integrity of the EU Common Agricultural Policy.
The Bulgarian Minister of Agriculture participated in key debates on the reform of the CAP in Luxembourg.
Dr. Georgi Takhov, the Minister of Agriculture and Food, will participate in a meeting of the EU Council of Agriculture and Fisheries on June 23-24, 2025 in Luxembourg. The main focus of the discussions will be the legislative proposal for simplifying the implementation of the Common Agricultural Policy, as well as current issues related to trade in the agricultural sector.
The Ministry of Agriculture is taking measures to support the affected orchards.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Food is taking actions to refine the areas of permanent plantations affected by adverse climatic conditions. An interagency working group will be formed to conduct re-inspections in order to accelerate the procedure for payment of state aid to the affected farmers.
The Ministry of Agriculture determines the rates for environmental payments for permanent crops in 2024.
The Minister of Agriculture and Food, Dr. Georgi Takhov, issued an order that sets the amounts of support for the ecological maintenance of permanent crops in 2024. The rate for maintaining the inter-row spaces is 330.39 BGN/ha, and for maintaining the strips along the edges of the plot is 129.71 BGN/ha.
The Ministry of Agriculture defends the interests of domestic producers in the EU and works for sustainable and modern agriculture.
The Minister of Agriculture Dr. Georgi Tahov states that the ministry will continue to actively participate in the discussions on the future Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and the new financial framework, defending the interests of Bulgarian farmers. He emphasizes that the new CAP should encourage environmental activities and reduce the administrative burden for farmers.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Food grants 11.7 million euros for afforestation and restoration of forest areas.
The Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food, Dr. Lozana Vasileva, announced that at the end of 2024, a working group was established with the aim of maximizing the utilization of the instruments of the Strategic Plan for the Development of Agriculture and Rural Areas in support of the forestry sector. The announcement of the call for the intervention "Afforestation and Restoration" with a budget of 11.7 million euros is forthcoming.
The Ministry of Agriculture has launched the harvest campaign with a focus on Bulgaria's stable position as a producer of high-quality grain.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Food officially opened the 2025 harvest campaign with a national event in the village of Tsar-Petrovo, Vidin. Deputy Ministers Yanislav Yanchev and Ivan Kapitanov expressed support for the efforts of the farmers and emphasized the stable positions of the country as a producer of high-quality grain.
Young farmers receive additional financial support for 2024.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Food has determined the amount of payment under the intervention for additional income support for young farmers for the 2024 campaign. The aid will be provided for the entire eligible area of the farm for a period of up to 5 years, starting from the first year of submitting the payment application.
Young leaders in agriculture - the EU discusses strategies to attract and retain young people in rural areas
The Minister of Agriculture and Food of Bulgaria will participate in an informal EU meeting, where opportunities to encourage young people to engage in the agricultural sector will be discussed. Key topics will be access to resources, education and support for starting one's own business in rural areas.
New regulatory framework for transparency and equality in food and agricultural product supplies
The Ministry of Agriculture and Food proposes a draft law that creates a special legal framework for contracts for the purchase of agricultural products and defines the status of the first buyers. The law introduces restrictions on trade markups, specific requirements for assortment and an electronic system for tracking the supply chain. The goal is to improve the functioning of the chain, reduce the imbalance between the participants and ensure transparency, traceability and equality.
Farmers submitted over 62,000 applications for direct payments in 2025.
The 2025 direct payments campaign was completed successfully and on time, without an extension of the application deadline. A total of 62,808 farmers submitted applications, declaring 1,124,689 parcels with a total area of 3,858,429 hectares. The data shows a trend of gradual consolidation of farms, with the greatest interest in interventions related to climate, environment and animal welfare.
Expansion of hail protection in Northern Bulgaria with new rocket platforms
The government plans to expand the hail protection system in Northern Bulgaria by building 21 new missile platforms in Pleven region, 4 in Lovech region and 3 in Veliko Tarnovo region. This will provide protection for over 230,000 hectares of agricultural land, complementing the existing system that already covers over 2 million hectares in the country's heavily hail-affected areas.
Three-party agreement to support students in hydraulic engineering
The Ministry of Agriculture and Food, "Irrigation Systems" EAD and the University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy signed an agreement for cooperation, aimed at encouraging the training and professional realization of students in the master's program in "Hydraulic Engineering".
Innovative achievements of Bulgaria in agriculture and food production, presented at EXPO 2025 in Osaka
The Bulgarian Ministry of Agriculture and the Agricultural Academy presented at EXPO 2025 in Osaka, Japan their innovative potential in the field of sustainable agriculture, plant breeding, and the development of high-value-added foods, including space foods. The focus was on the importance of science and technology for increasing the competitiveness of the agricultural sector and ensuring global food security.
The Ministry of Agriculture and industry organizations discussed measures to reduce bee mortality.
The Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food, Stefan Burdjiev, held a meeting with representatives of beekeeping, crop production, and plant protection to discuss the complex problem of high bee mortality. The participants discussed factors such as improper application of plant protection products, lack of communication between producers, and the need for increased control.