Medium-term Priorities of Bulgarian Agricultural Policy

R. Popov

Abstract: Although the CAP determines the frame of development of agriculture of the countries of the EU, important aspects of the agricultural policy remain national responsibility and priority. The aim of the article is to determine the medium - term priorities of the agricultural policy in Bulgaria. The priorities are determined on the base of the analysis of some basic indicators of the potential and the level of Bulgarian agricultural development, compared to the average European indexes and on SWOT analysis through which are identified the most important interior (strengths and weaknesses) and exterior (opportunities and threads) factors for the Bulgarian agricultural development. In order to benefit from the opening opportunities, of the increasing demand of food products and the integration to the European agriculture, the Bulgarian agriculture needs some measures of structural character in the following fields: Overcoming the structural problems through consolidation of the land property and rationalizing of the land utilization. The advance in this field will depend on the development of the land market, the certainty of land utilization and the achievement of land development activities.  Increase of the educational and qualification preparation of the employed in agriculture. At a certain grade, this activity is under esteemed. It is considered that the investment in human development in a long-term plan will be of a highest return.  Development of the system of dissemination of knowledge and advisory services. The scale of the task requires the integration of the capacity for dissemination and advisory services of the NOASA, the executive agencies, the AA and the municipality and regional centers of the MAF, as well as the NGO sector and the local social capital.  Development of the science research. The research activities in agriculture are mainly achieved in the AA. Changes are necessary in several directions: adoption of a new Law of AA;  new framework of financing of the research activities, providing the necessary stability of the system and creating conditions for obtaining incomes from scientific products and services;  change of the regulatory framework, creating prerequisites for flexible organization of the research activities;  providing access of the research institutes to financing by the structure funds of the EU.  Improvement of the market access of agricultural producers. This includes market integration, development of market infrastructure, and creation of efficient competitiveness, environment and producers cooperation.  Development of local markets and regional products. The local markets’ development corresponds to the interests of the producers, preserves the established through the year’s production and consumption culture, contributes to the local identity preservation and because of this must be underpinned by the policy.  Product development and increase of the share of products of high value added in the food processing industry. The progress achievement in the competitiveness and the increase of the share of the products of high value added is of a key importance for the Bulgarian agriculture and the food-processing sector.

Keywords: agricultural policy; medium-term priorities

Date published: 2019-06-10