Bulgaria's Agriculture Ministry

According to Bulgaria's Agriculture Ministry, sunflower seed had been harvested from 731.9 Th ha as of October 18, i.e. from 99.6% of its forecast area of 735 Th ha. The crop amounted to 1880.85 KMT with a yield of 2.57 MT/ha. The harvest is 9.1% behind last year, though with a 12.7% higher yield than in 2017, reports UkrAgroConsult.

At least 16 EU member states plus four regions in other EU countries are prohibiting the growing of genetically modified (GM) crops on their territories under new rules, Greenpeace has said.

Those member states and regions represent over 65% of the EU's population and as much of the bloc's arable land, Greenpeace said in a press release.

Bulgaria's Agriculture Ministry has confirmed that the country will remain free from cultivation of genetically modified (GM) crops.

The position has been stated in 10 letters of notification to the the European Commission to ensure that no GM products would be grown in Bulgaria, the ministry said in a statement.

The number of livestock holdings for cattle, sheep and goats, and pigs in Bulgaria fell by 34% on an annual basis in 2014, according to a media statement of Bulgaria's Agriculture Ministry.

Bulgaria's Agriculture Ministry published statistics on livestock by November 2014.

After nine hours of debates between senior officials of Bulgaria's Agriculture Ministry and representatives of organizations of producers of different brands of tobacco, agreement was reached on the distribution of a total of BGN 107 M earmarked for top-up payments in the sector.

Bulgaria's Agriculture Ministry will select a certifying authority for the Rural Development Program through a procedure by direct agreement in a bid to save time.

Bulgaria's caretaker government approved the measure on Wednesday, according to reports of dnevnik.bg.

Caretaker Agriculture Minister Vasil Grudev has discussed Bulgaria's participation in a leading European show for the livestock industry with French Ambassador Xavier Lapeyre de Cabanes.

Bulgaria may become an intermediary between China and 16 Central and Eastern European countries in the sphere of agriculture.

Bulgarian caretaker Agriculture Minister Vasil Grudev presented Wednesday a concept paper on the creation of a cooperation center to ambassadors and diplomats from 11 European countries.

Bulgaria's Agriculture Ministry has announced it is receiving applications for aid to compensate the damage caused by the Russian import ban.

The total budget of the aid scheme for all EU Member States amounts to EUR 125 M, and an additional EUR 30 M for peaches and nectarines.

Bulgaria's Deputy Minister of Agriculture Byurhan Abazov has met with representatives of the Ministry of Forestry of Indonesia, Friday.