The Minister of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, Rumen Porodzanov, took part in the 9th Bosphorus Summit under the motto ‘Sustaining Peace and Development for All’ which was held in Istanbul, in the Republic of Turkey. He and his Turkish colleague, Bekir Pakdemirli were the main speakers in the panel ‘Role of Agriculture in Sustainable Development and Cooperation’.
Minister Porodzanov pointed that agriculture holds a specific place in the social and economic life of Bulgaria. The traditions in the production of cereals, vegetables, fruits and the rearing of animals are the main factors for its development. Bulgaria has a number of competitive advantages to undertake investments in these fields.
‘Agricultural activities are and will remain an important source of income for a big part of the Bulgarian population,’ highlighted the Minister. He also added ‘My ministry promotes the digitalization process of agriculture in its entirety and is preparing a strategy that will give a green light for the creation of the necessary infrastructure for the digital transformation of agriculture and it should provide concrete measures for this transformation. The accelerated development of digital technologies and the creation of new business models in agriculture will contribute to attracting younger generations and, in this way, it will slow down the negative processes and the worsening of the demographic structure of those that are engaged in agricultural activities and the depopulation of the rural areas.’
‘The goal of all of us must be to overcome the challenges, to be ready to provide support, solidarity and cooperation between equal participants with common interests and mutual tolerance’ concluded the Minister.
Rumen Porodzanov held a meeting with the Turkish Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Bekir Pakdemirli. The two of them discusses issues connected to the cooperation of the two countries within the field of agriculture.