The agricultural sector is not up to all the challenges it faces, according to caretaker Minister of Agriculture and Food Georgi Tahov. "Farmers and forest owners need to comply with stricter environmental requirements arising from the Green Deal and to make considerable efforts to run their farms in a way that contributes to mitigating the effects of climate change. Farmers should adapt and should be able to address the challenges related to diseases and multiple crises," Tahov said in Sofia on Wednesday.
He was speaking at the three-day Green Transition Forum 4.0, which opened on Wednesday. The forum focuses on new prospects for Central and Eastern Europe. It has been organized by Dir.bg and 3E News, with BTA as its media partner.
The minister pointed to a drastic decline in agricultural production as entrepreneurs abandon farming, which has led to increased dependence on imports and insecure supplies. All this can have an adverse impact on employment and incomes in rural areas, he warned.
Tahov called on the newly elected European Parliament and the new European Commission to acknowledge the important economic, social and environmental function of the common agricultural policy. He pointed to the need for a steady balance between sustainability and competitiveness.
"It is also crucial to uphold the policy of support through the instruments of direct payment, which are well-known to Bulgarian farmers," he added. Tahov insisted that ecologization should proceed at a moderate pace and the requirements should be as simple as possible, clear and feasible.
/RY/
news.modal.text
