site.btaParliamentary Committee on Agriculture, Food and Forestry Approves Agriculture Section of 2026 State Budget Bill at First Reading

At a meeting on Wednesday, the Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture, Food and Forestry approved at first reading the 2026 State Budget Bill of the Republic of Bulgaria in the section concerning agriculture. The bill passed with 13 votes in favour, 7 against, and 2 abstentions.

Agriculture and Food Minister Georgi Tahov said that the detailed strategy for the development of agricultural policy includes five key priorities: structural and sectoral balance in agriculture; farmers’ incomes; agricultural competitiveness; the role of the entire agrarian sector in environmental protection; and the management of fisheries and aquaculture.

According to Tahov, in 2026, the Agriculture and Food Ministry will focus mainly on three policy areas, comprising a comprehensive set of 16 budget programmes aligned with the government’s priorities and national sectoral objectives. The three main policy areas cover agriculture and rural development; fisheries and aquaculture; and the preservation and expansion of forests and wildlife.

Desislava Stoyanova, Head of the Ministry’s Finance Department, said that the Ministry’s planned revenues for 2026 amount to EUR 118.8 million, which marks an increase of EUR 6 million compared to 2025. The Ministry’s expenditure framework for the coming year is set at EUR 209.8 million.