The Ministry of Agriculture and Food is actively preparing its management program with a strict focus on efficiency and tangible results. To drive these policies, Minister Plamen Abrovsky introduced his new team of deputy ministers: Prof. Ivan Paligorov will manage forest policy; Krasimir Chakarov takes over CAP Pillar II and fisheries; Yanislav Yanchev will manage CAP Pillar I; and Prof. Krum Nedelkov will oversee livestock, hail suppression, and state aid. Minister Abrovsky heavily criticized past management, stating that since 2007 the state has focused blindly on mechanical spending without accountability, a practice he vows to stop.
The new leadership faces several immediate crises, particularly regarding delayed infrastructure and severe financial losses. The Ministry has urgently reclaimed four critical dams—Ogosta, Trakiets, Pyasachnik, and Domlyan—from the State Consolidation Company due to a total lack of maintenance, and now needs €50 million for emergency repairs. In the forestry sector, state enterprises finished 2025 with an €11 million loss, while fire prevention measures are heavily delayed with only 50% implemented ahead of a strict June deadline. Furthermore, the historic "Kabiyuk" state enterprise has been pushed to the brink of bankruptcy, lacking the funds to cultivate its 20,000 decares of land due to unpaid ministry contracts. Additionally, a delayed public procurement tender for aircraft-based hail suppression has temporarily left multiple agricultural regions completely unprotected.
To counter these systemic issues, the Ministry’s core priorities will center on deregulation and economic incentives. The leadership plans to slash red tape and tighten sector-wide control. To boost the competitiveness of fruit and vegetable producers, the Ministry will collaborate with the Bulgarian Development Bank to introduce a VAT exemption for deliveries within cooperatives. Finally, addressing the massive backlog of EU funds is paramount; nearly €310 million failed to reach farmers by the end of 2025, and the country faces a further risk of losing between €80 million and €200 million in 2026. To protect these vital resources, Minister Abrovsky will urgently request an N+2-rule derogation at the upcoming EU Agriculture Ministers Council.