Bulgarian agriculture in the focus of representative statistical surveys

Plamena Yovchevska

Abstract: The aim of the article is to highlight certain trends in Bulgarian agriculture. The article is based on representative empirical information from the Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) and Farm structure survey (FSS). Changes in land use are registered with a significant impact on the development of land relations in our country. The results reveal processes of different nature and express the effect of the dominance of the Community agricultural policy on the economic conjuncture for the development of agriculture in our country. The dichotomy in the used agricultural area is an expression of increased competitiveness, which is inherent mainly in the production of extensive crops, with the presence of significant features for monoculture agriculture. At the same time, systemic problems in the intensive crops stand out, for the production of which Bulgaria possesses monopoly natural-climatic conditions. These results highlight the role of land relations and reveal/bring out potential opportunities for increasing the importance of agriculture in improving public relations and the socio-economic environment not only in the sector but also in the country as a whole. The Covid-19 challenge creates the preconditions for re-evaluating some existing stereotypes. The results of surveys over the last ten years reveal processes of consolidation of the utilized agricultural area and its concentration in a small number of large agricultural holdings. Extensive crop production is increasing. Intensive production, vegetables, fruit and livestock fall into the group of “vulnerable sectors”. The number of small actors is decreasing; the processes of medium-sized ones are unstable. This creates difficulties in establishing sustainable family farms and is a potential risk of depopulation in some rural areas in Bulgaria. The registered processes are in dissonance with the goal setting of the Common agricultural policy (CAP). FADN 2020 reaffirms this trend, as the utilized agricultural area in Bulgarian agriculture continues to grow and monoculture production remains sustainable. The crisis with COVID-19 has revealed a number of problems in the supply of agricultural goods, which is an occasion to rethink the role of national policy to provide consumers with products of local origin and frames the need for cognition in the analysis of complex contemporary socio-economic processes.

Keywords: Bulgarian agriculture; COVID-19; FADN; FSS; land relationships

Date published: 2021-10-19