Bio Agriculture on the Rise - Expert

Sofia, June 29 (BTA) - Bio agriculture has been on the rise in recent years, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Tsvetan Dimitrov said. He was speaking at Wednesday's opening of a seminar on the subject of "Prospects for the Promotion of Bio Agriculture in SE European Countries", his ministry said.

An increasing number of farmers are turning towards this production and consumers are looking for healthy food, uncontaminated by artificial fertilizers. As a result of the conditions for development, at the end of 2014 the Ministry had 4,092 registered bio producers, a number which rose to over 4,800 at the end of 2015.

In the last five years there has been a consistent trend of annual increase of bio agriculture areas, as well as of the certified environment-friendly regions. In 2014 the areas totalled 74,351 ha, about 40 per cent more than in the previous year. The percentage of area included in the control system has also been increasing, from 0.5 per cent in 2010 to 1.5 per cent in 2015.

The main bio crops in Bulgaria are perennial, accounting for an average of 65 per cent of the total farmed area. Wheat, barley and oats are also farmed in this manner, as well as technical crops such as sunflower, rose and lavender.

Viniculture is another sector of bio agriculture in Bulgaria, with over 38,000 tonnes in 2015. Viticulture accounts for the largest share in this type of production in the past year (18.5 per cent), followed by goat and sheep products.