The Minister of Agriculture and Food, Plamen Abrovskу officially launched the 2026 harvesting campaign. During the ceremony, held in the village of Drenov, Lovech region, Minister Abrovskу stated that a good harvest is never a coincidence but the result of professionalism, dedication, and a deep sense of responsibility toward the Bulgarian land.
"The long journey from the autumn sowing to safely storing the last grain in the warehouses involves immense hard work, perseverance, and hope. Thanks to the efforts of agricultural producers and the application of modern agrotechnical practices, Bulgaria continues to be among the leading wheat producers, not only in Europe but on a global scale," Minister Abrovskу added.
According to data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, the projected production for the 2026 harvest is expected to reach between 6.5 and 6.8 million tons of wheat and slightly over 1 million tons of barley.
The event, which is part of the "Golden Harvest - Lovech 2026" initiative, was attended by the President of the Republic of Bulgaria, Iliana Iotova; the Mayor of Lovech, Stratsimir Petkov; the Regional Governor, Plamen Hristov; the Chairman of the Committee on Agriculture, Food and Forestry at the 52nd National Assembly, Yavor Gechev; Members of Parliament; the Executive Director of State Fund Agriculture, Vladislava Kazakova; the Chairman of the National Association of Grain Producers, Iliya Prodanov; and local agricultural producers.
Earlier, speaking to the media, Minister Abrovskу stated that there is currently no cause for concern regarding raw milk supplies in the country. He pointed out that between January 1 and June 1, 2026, imported milk accounted for a mere 7.5% of the total volume utilized in Bulgaria.
Addressing food price controls and the dynamic between producers and retail chains, Plamen Abrovskу firmly stated that producers are not having their arms twisted; rather, proper oversight is being established. He noted that the state had simply not exercised such control until now. He warned that if retail chains attempt to exert pressure or employ unfair commercial practices, the law is firmly in effect and will be applied with absolute severity.
Minister Abrovskу announced that the Ministry has received alerts from producers. He clarified that one alert received last week was initially thought to be connected to the "Care Basket" initiative, but it subsequently became clear that it was entirely unrelated. He noted that producers have now submitted official complaints to the Commission for Protection of Competition following a meeting with Ministry representatives. "We will be uncompromising toward anyone who utilizes unfair practices against Bulgarian agricultural producers," he stressed.
The Minister also addressed the pressing need to restore the country's hydromeliorative infrastructure. "Over the past 20 years, irrigation facilities were destroyed and cut up for scrap, leaving farmers completely without water. Restoring this network is a primary priority for the government, even though, in practice, we have to start entirely from scratch," he concluded.