site.btaOrganic Farms Increase by over 20% a Year

Over the past two years, Bulgaria has seen a significant rise in organic producers – more than 20% annually – along with an increase in certified land and livestock, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Yanislav Yanchev said on Wednesday. He took part in the information campaign "Vocation: BioLogical!", dedicated to promoting organic farming.

At present, nearly 4% of the country’s agricultural land is certified for organic farming. The Deputy Minister noted that this marks solid progress compared with 2023, although the figures are still short of the national targets. In organic livestock farming, the area of certified land and the number of animals have more than doubled, while progress in crop production has been more moderate but still noticeable, he added.

Some of the procedures for applying for certification will be simplified, but control measures will remain strict, the Deputy Minister emphasized.

According to farmers, however, organic livestock farming still faces many challenges. "There's nothing certain; we're constantly in the dark. The programme period started under one set of conditions, and now they’re changing. The measure used to be for one year, but it’s now becoming a three-year commitment, and the budget is changing too," said Yordan Trifonov, who has been involved in organic livestock farming for over ten years and raises more than 120 cows in the Bolyarovo region.

He added that the lack of a domestic organic market also remains a major problem. "We sell at conventional prices; we just follow the regulations for organic production. We hope that one day this market will open up, but when – I have no idea," the farmer commented.

This year, the Ministry of Agriculture’s "Vocation: BioLogical!" information campaign includes six regional cities. The meeting in Yambol with Deputy Minister Yanchev and ministry experts was attended by hundreds of farmers from the area.