The Ministry of Agriculture and Food is taking extensive actions to assess the damage caused by the gray corn weevil in agricultural farms. Deputy Minister Yanislav Yanchev is leading the first meeting of a specially formed interdepartmental working group that will thoroughly investigate the spread of this agricultural pest.

The main goal of the expert team is to analyze the results of a large-scale national survey of corn and sunflower areas. The group will study international experience, especially Romania's practices in fighting the pest, with the intention of developing an effective strategy for crop protection.

According to the presented data, the observation covers 19 regions, representing about 3.1% of the total 418,038 hectares of corn plantations. The most critical regions are Vratsa and Dobrich, where the weevil population density significantly exceeds the economic threshold of harmfulness.

In the Oryahovo area, extremely high values have been recorded - over 20 specimens per square meter. In comparison, in Southern Bulgaria, the pest density is significantly lower. The economic damage threshold for corn is set at 2 specimens per square meter.

The Bulgarian Food Safety Agency presented detailed statistics: 10% of the surveyed areas show density exceeding the economic threshold twice, 26% are around it, and 11% are below critical values.

A similar picture is observed in sunflower plantations, which have covered about 1.9% of the total 948,495 hectares. The most serious infestation has been established in Vratsa and the village of Dolni Lukovit, with recorded values between 8 and 10 specimens per square meter.

Deputy Minister Yanchev emphasized the need for a balanced approach that simultaneously protects agricultural crops and preserves the ecosystem, including bee populations - a crucial factor for sustainable agriculture.

Experts from various institutions participated in the discussion, including representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture, the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency, and agricultural producers. An online survey among farmers is planned to gather additional information about replanting areas.

The working group aims to develop comprehensive, scientifically substantiated solutions that will minimize damage from the gray corn weevil and support Bulgarian agricultural producers.