The total production of greenhouse vegetables grew 28.1% in 2018 compared to 2017, Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Food and Forestry Verginiya Krasteva said at the opening of the first seminar of the Bulgarian Association of Greenhouse Producers on the topic: Integrated Plant Protection in Greenhouses, held in Plovdiv, the ministry’s press office said.

The greenhouse vegetable production in 2018 amounted to 130.9 thousand tonnes, said the deputy minister, adding that the greenhouses cover a total area of 916 ha in the country. "The greenhouse production area declared in the Direct Payments Campaign for 2019 amounted to 765 ha, and in 2015 it was 588 ha," she said. In her words, greenhouse production allows for a longer, more sustainable and regular supply of fresh produce on the market.

Deputy Minister Krasteva informed the attendees about the debate on the post-2020 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). She said the three SWOT analyses should be completed by the end of the year. "One of them has already been presented and will be finalised soon. We plan to present a SWOT analysis of the Agrarian University of Plovdiv in early December," said Krasteva. The debate with the industry should be conducive to making the right decisions for a modern, competitive and sustainable agriculture, she noted.

Prof. Hristina Yancheva, Rector of the Agrarian University of Plovdiv, took part in this first seminar of the Bulgarian Association of Greenhouse Producers. She said 2020 was declared the year of plant health. "The topic of today's seminar is extremely important as plant protection is one of the major problems of all producers," she said.

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