Bulgarian Agriculture Minister Ivan Hristanov
Bulgarian Agriculture Minister Ivan Hristanov has said that milk prices in Bulgaria are falling for consumers while production costs for farmers continue to rise, creating increasing pressure on the sector. His remarks were made during a meeting of the EU Council on Agriculture and Fisheries in Brussels.
Hristanov stated that from the beginning of 2025, milk prices have been on a continuous downward trend, a pattern he said is also visible in early 2026 data. At the same time, he warned that the situation is becoming more severe for producers, especially smaller farms and those operating in less favorable regions, where buyers are increasingly refusing to purchase their milk.
According to him, one of the main reasons is the influx of cheaper raw materials from outside markets, which is distorting competition and placing domestic producers at a disadvantage. He added that this is happening while key production expenses, including electricity and animal feed, are rising, effectively squeezing farmers from both sides of the market.
Hristanov argued that in such conditions the European Union should make full use of available instruments to stabilize the sector, including possible emergency reserves. He also pointed to the option of a temporary voluntary reduction in supply as a fast mechanism to help balance the market and ease price pressure.
Turning to the future of the Common Agricultural Policy, the minister stressed that Bulgaria maintains a firm position that it must remain an independent framework with a sufficient and reliable budget. He said food security objectives cannot be met while reducing financial support for agriculture, adding that farmers need predictability through direct payments, coupled support and investment measures in order for the sector to remain viable.
He also emphasized that disparities between member states should be eliminated, arguing that farmers in Bulgaria should not receive lower support than their counterparts elsewhere in the EU for equivalent work.
Hristanov further raised concerns about the practice of concluding trade agreements in isolation, warning that their combined impact can create significant pressure on vulnerable sectors if not assessed collectively. He also called for stricter and genuinely enforced border controls, insisting that the safety and quality of imported goods should not be compromised.
In the field of fisheries and aquaculture, he said Bulgaria supports the EU’s general direction but stressed that the domestic situation remains difficult. The sector, he noted, relies on outdated vessels and operates under challenging conditions in the Black Sea, while simultaneously being expected to modernize and adopt more energy-efficient technologies.
He said such transformation requires substantial funding and cannot be achieved without stronger financial support at EU level. Hristanov also called for faster disbursement of payments and reduced administrative delays, arguing that current procedures often slow down assistance for the sector.
Finally, he highlighted the situation of small-scale fishermen, warning that without simplified access to financing and reduced bureaucracy, their survival is at risk.