site.btaAgriculture Minister Bozukov: Bulgaria Has Potential to Increase Protein Crops Farming

October 25 (BTA) - Bulgaria has potential to increase
production of protein crops, as it has good experience and
traditions in that field, said Agriculture and Food Minister
Hristo Bozukov during the Summit of the Ministers of Agriculture
 of the Three Seas Initiative and EU Commissioner for
Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski, held in Krakow, Bozukov's
Ministry reported.

Research and active selection are being carried out in the units
 specializing in legumes, as a result of which Bulgaria has a
significant number of bean varieties that have been specially
adapted for its climatic conditions, Minister Bozukov said.
 
The protein crops in Bulgaria have been on the rise in recent
years - 136 per cent in 2018, compared to 2014. This is due to
the measures taken by the State, including the coupled support
scheme for protein crops, introduced in the current programming
period, he said.

The agriculture ministers of Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia,
Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and
Slovakia signed a joint declaration about the possibility to
ensure production of feed proteins in the region.

The agriculture ministers have also discussed the Common
Agricultural Policy's impact on the transformation of
agriculture and rural regions to a green and digital economy in
the region.

The Bulgarian Agriculture Minister has explained that one of the
 main areas that research and development in Bulgaria is
focusing on is the production of healthy foods and food
supplements from natural and locally produced products with an
anti-oxidant effect. RY/MY




/ÌÉ/