Balgarianovinite.com Milk in Bulgaria is falling in purchase price, while production costs continue to rise, caretaker Agriculture and Food Minister Ivan Hristanov said at the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council session in Brussels, the Ministry’s press service reported on Tuesday.
Hristanov noted that prices have been declining since the beginning of 2025 and the trend has not stopped. “We see it continuing in the first months of 2026. At the same time, an even more worrying development is emerging. Small farms and producers in more difficult regions simply cannot sell their milk, and it is being refused for purchase. The reason is simple: cheap raw materials from abroad are entering the market and distorting it,” the Minister explained.
Hristanov said that this comes at a time when electricity and feed costs are rising. “Farmers are being squeezed from both sides. That is why we clearly stated that in such situations, Europe must use all available tools, including reserve funds if necessary. Most importantly, the measure for temporarily voluntary reduction of deliveries should be applied. This is a fast way to stabilise the market,” he stressed.
On the future of EU agricultural policy, Hristanov emphasized Bulgaria’s firm stance. “The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) must remain an independent policy with a real budget. You cannot demand food security while cutting support. Given current prices and instability, farmers need predictability – direct payments, coupled support, and investments. This is not a bonus, it is a condition for the sector’s survival. Another important point is to eliminate disparities between countries. Bulgarian farmers cannot receive less for the same work,” he said.
Hristanov also highlighted the need to stop signing agreements “piecemeal”, without considering the overall effect. “When you accumulate several such agreements, the impact on sensitive sectors becomes serious. Second, border controls must be real, not just on paper. The quality and safety of imports are not negotiable,” he added.
Regarding fisheries and aquaculture, Hristanov said that Bulgaria supports the EU’s direction, but the domestic reality is difficult. “The sector operates with old vessels, an uncertain environment, and specific conditions in the Black Sea. At the same time, it is told to modernize and move toward energy-efficient solutions. This costs money, a lot of money, and cannot happen without support. That is why we insist on changes to the European fund to provide real assistance. Also, payments must be made quickly, not delayed for months. And for small-scale fishermen: if we do not ensure access to funding without unnecessary bureaucracy, this sector will simply disappear,” the Minister said.
On Monday, Hristanov met with representatives of Copa-Cogeca, the leading organization of European farmers and agricultural cooperatives, and reaffirmed Bulgaria’s support for a strong, autonomous CAP after 2027, with its own budget and two clearly defined pillars. Milk Prices Fall in Bulgaria While Production Costs Rise, Agriculture Minister Says in Brussels 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-03-31 09:29:17 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law