site.btaBulgarian Agrarian Chamber Warns of Impending Crop Agriculture Crisis Due to Irrigation Shortages, Threatens Protests

The Bulgarian Agrarian Chamber (BAC) has warned of an impending crisis in crop agriculture due to irrigation shortages and threatened protests. At an extraordinary meeting, the BAC Board of Directors adopted a declaration raising alarm about the critical state of the water resources needed for agricultural production, the Chamber announced Monday.

BAC states that the lack of an adequate water policy and the uncontrolled use of water from reservoirs for energy needs are putting at risk the 2025 irrigation season, farming crops, farming jobs, and the security of the Bulgarian food supply chain.

The organization demands that use of reservoir water for other purposes be stopped unless the required volumes for irrigation are secured, and that the construction of key infrastructure be stepped up. It urges strict adherence to the Water Act provisions saying that water should be used for drinking first and irrigation second - and only then for energy production. It also demands streamlining of the procedures for legalizing wells and water extraction; and the creation of a working group involving BAC and relevant institutions. In the medium term, the industry organization insists on a comprehensive strategy for sustainable irrigated agriculture in Bulgaria

BAC states that if their demands are not heard and a long-overdue meeting with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, the Ministry of Environment and Water, and the Ministry of Energy is not held, they will proceed with effective protest actions.

Earlier this month, Deputy Agriculture Minister Ivan Kapitanov said that currently irrigated areas amount to 33,400 ha. Another 7,000 ha will be added thank to projects completed last year. According to him, the last irrigation land census was conducted in 2000. A detailed inventory of all irrigation facilities could begin if resources are available and at the moment they are not.