300,000 family farms in Bulgaria have closed оver past 20 years

Bulgarian fruit and vegetable production is at risk of continued decline due to problems with irrigation, imports, and insufficient controls on imported agricultural produce, said Tsvetan Tsekov, chairman of the Fruit and Vegetable Branch Chamber, in an interview with Nova News on August 13, 2026.

According to Tsekov, the sector has lost more than 300,000 family farms over the past 20 years, while no more than 10% of fruit and vegetable growers have access to adequate irrigation. He attributes this largely to the destruction of the country’s irrigation infrastructure during the 1990s.

Young people are reluctant to work in the fields because of the difficult conditions, including those caused by the climate, limited markets, and the lack of an adequate sector policy, the expert said.

According to Tsekov, cooperation among producers is the only chance for Bulgarian agricultural production to survive and develop.

Edited by Miglena Ivanova