The state will not allow any compromise with the quality and safety of food in the retail network. This was categorically stated by the Minister of Agriculture Plamen Abrovski in the program “Speak Now“ on BNT (bntnews.bg). According to him, the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency (BFSA) is currently working excellently and carrying out massive inspections throughout the country.
Strict phytosanitary control and the case of Argentine sunflower
Minister Abrovski commented on the case of the import of sunflower from Argentina and the control for the presence of pesticide residues. He criticized the decision of the previous caretaker government of candidate-president Gyurov, which allowed these batches into the country. According to him, this created a dangerous precedent, since no other member state of the European Union wanted to allow this import.
“When I was elected by the National Assembly, I immediately went to inspect the arrival of the next ship. At first, we found a little chaos, but together with the new executive director of the Bulgarian Food Safety Authority, we quickly introduced order“, explained the Minister of Agriculture. A strict procedure for full traceability is currently being implemented. “I want to reassure Bulgarian citizens – when even one seed arrives from Argentina or another third country, the BFSA seals it on site and monitors its movement to the silos“, he added.
The minister assured that the upcoming autumn campaign for harvesting and processing sunflower will also be under 24-hour control. Regarding inspections of meat and other food products, Abrovski made an important distinction: “Quality and safety are two different things, but there will be no compromise with either one or the other. If dangerous goods are found, they will be withdrawn immediately, and violators will be sanctioned, without creating unnecessary panic among people.“
Modernization of the borders and price stability
The Minister of Agriculture rejected the allegations that there is a lack of effective land control at the border crossings. He personally visited the borders to verify the work of the state laboratory. “There was a technical problem with old computers, but we have already brought brand new equipment directly in the boxes and the process is fully secured“, he told BNT (bnt.bg).
On the question of commodity prices, Abrovski called for an end to speculation about uncontrollable price increases. According to him, the initial market distortion began in early 2024 due to talk about adopting the euro. “The NSI (nsi.bg) data show that food prices have not increased in general, and for the month of August we even report a slight decrease“, the minister argued.
He also defended the government initiative “Basket with Care“, aimed at the most vulnerable groups of the population. Analyses by the Ministry of Agriculture (mzh.government.bg) indicate that there is enormous interest in the program from both national and regional retail chains. Retailers are making a massive commitment for a period of at least six months, offering a minimum of 30 basic products with at least a 15% discount, with mass purchases in this segment ranging between 5 and 10 euros.