The Bulgarian Farmers' Union will hold a two-day round table on farm competitiveness and sustainable development in Sofia on 27 and 28 October, its press office said.
Deputy agriculture minister Krasimir Chakarov will open the forum at the Central Cooperative Union building. The event is part of the Technical Assistance programme and is co-funded by the European Union.
Representatives of state and local bodies, farmers, trade groups, scientific and educational institutions, businesses and the financial sector will attend. They will discuss the problems facing Bulgarian farming and ways to modernise production.
On 27 October, participants will look at the state of farming and its prospects, and at the main difficulties producers face. They will also discuss how farming can develop as the economy and climate change. They will try to find ways for farms to stay financially stable, raise their output, and use innovation and new technology.
The second day is about support for the sector. The programme covers the EU's Common Agricultural Policy and how to manage risk from unstable weather, price swings and rising production costs. It also covers access to bank loans and investment, insurance, and crisis measures for farms. Other topics are processing, cooperatives and short supply chains, which add value, as well as getting more Bulgarian products onto the home and foreign markets.
The union sets three goals for the forum: dialogue between those involved, a list of the sector's most urgent needs, and practical solutions to the problems holding back its development.