The Ninth National Meeting of Agricultural Producers – Agriculture in a New Reality

The Agro-Conference of Agricultural Producers in Bulgaria returns after a 2-year pause with an extensive programme, offering a wide range of current topics and important issues from agricultural life in the country and Europe on 15 and 16 February 2023 in the village of Ovoshtnik, near Kazanlak. The event will be opened by the caretaker Minister of Agriculture Yavor Gechev and will be held under the motto “Agriculture for Generations in a New Reality”. Interesting presentations by leading agro-companies will accompany the main programme of the forum.

The ninth edition of the National Meeting of Agricultural Producers is organised by the Association of Agricultural Producers in Bulgaria (AAPS) and is held under the motto “Agriculture for Generations in a New Reality”. Among the official guests are experts from the management of the Ministry of Agriculture, the State Fund “Agriculture”, and representatives of the European Parliament, Copa-Cogeca and other organisations from the agricultural sector. Business presentations by some of the largest agro-companies in Bulgaria are also part of this year’s edition of the National Meeting of Producers.

PROGRAMME

The programme of the forum is divided into two days and into several panels that are key for agriculture. The main task of the first panel, which will be opened by Ventsislav Varbanov, Chair of the Management Board of AAPS, and Yavor Gechev, Minister of Agriculture, is to provide guidance and clarification on the main challenges for the agricultural sector under the conditions of the new CAP (2023-2027).

Right at the beginning of the conference programme, a special presentation on the amendments to the EU regulatory framework for a net reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030 will be delivered by Atidje Alieva-Veli, member of the Committee on Agriculture of the European Parliament.

Forecast scenarios for Bulgarian agriculture up to 2027 will also be discussed.

The second panel is dedicated to the implementation of the support rules within the new CAP. The “Direct Payments 2023” Campaign and the investment measures are expected to attract the main attention at the meeting. Problematic concepts of agricultural policy such as the basic environmental standards for support, the definition of an active farmer, the eco-schemes and the readiness of the state administration for the new system for monitoring and control of area will be discussed in detail. During the forum, the opportunities for agricultural producers under the Strategic Plan and the National Recovery and Resilience Plan will also be presented. Recommendations for avoiding common mistakes in aid applications will be discussed as well.

Panel three is dedicated to the new interventions of the Strategic Plan 2023-2027 for support of investments in the agri-food sector. The new legal solution for an information system for the implementation of investment interventions will be presented.

In panel four, experts will discuss the possibilities for support of investments in the agricultural sector in 2023 through the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP).

A special emphasis will be placed on the problems related to grain markets in panel five. The speakers will share their forecasts for Bulgarian agriculture and the reality of grain markets under conditions of constant political and economic challenges in the sector.

Carbon certificates, carbon farming, climate change and agrivoltaics are among the main focus topics in panel six. Speakers from reputable European organisations are invited to present practical examples from the EU regarding opportunities for additional income and innovative methods to combat climate change.