Traditionally, an agricultural country in the past, Bulgaria has gone through a number of problems in agriculture after the fall of the Berlin Wall. With land divided into small parts and no subsidies for farmers, the Bulgarian agriculture has lost its competitiveness, despite Bulgaria’s fertile land, good climate, and traditions. With Bulgaria joining the EU in 2007, a boost was given to agriculture. Despite the difficult access to European funds, Bulgaria’s agriculture has been the only sector with a positive foreign trade balance for the past two years. For the past year the positive balance has grown four times in comparison to the previous period, Agriculture Minister Miroslav Naydenov has announced, reporting the work done during the first year of the ruling of the rightist GERB party. Minister Naydenov has pointed out the successful unblocking of EU funds, frozen due to corruption doubts during the previous government, as well as the fast absorption of EU funds today.
“Absorbed funds under all EU operational programmes in Bulgaria have reached 2.1 billion levs (1 billion euro). Half of this financing was absorbed by agriculture,” the minister pointed out.
Despite the activities related to the fight against corruption, Minister Naydenov has started two other tough reforms. One is related to establishment of a Food Safety Agency, which is to be responsible for the actual monitoring of food quality. Simultaneously the adoption of a Bulgarian State Standard concerning traditional Bulgarian foods, like the yogurt, has also started. It turns out that a number of producers skip using the healthy Lactobacillus Bulgaricum to ferment the yogurt. Others make salami, using soy, or add water to the meat.
“We have started these reforms in order to protect consumers from bad-quality foods, which are harmful to our health and are offered on the market. I admit it is a difficult process, but I expect the measures to be effective.”
Another troubled reform is related to Bulgarian forests. Illegal logging and corruption swaps of state-owned lands must be stopped.
“Such a reform has not been done for the past 20 years,” Minister Naydenov says. “The aim is to preserve the Bulgarian forest, which comprises 1/3 of the country. Bulgaria has no oil but in the future forests may become the most valuable resource. We would like the next generations to have this natural resource, which also has international significance. The air produced by the forests is used by everybody on this planet. We have stopped the illegal swaps of forests and we aim at stopping illegal cutting. Economic interests are huge and that is why reforms are tough.”
Agriculture Minister Miroslav Naydenov has admitted that the delay in absorption of EU funds for the fishing sector, amounting to 80 million euro by 2013, is a drawback.
“There is a delay related to fishing operational programme. We are currently trying to do everything possible not to lose the EU financing for the sector. I have already met with European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Maria Damanaki, and I have informed her about the issues we encounter. An opportunity to make up for the delay will be provided to Bulgaria.”
English: Alexander Markov
