Are beekeepers business operators within the meaning of the Food Law?

The National Branch Beekeepers' Union is urging the urgent convening of the Advisory Council on Beekeeping to the Minister of Agriculture and Food. According to the organization, the beekeeping sector is facing serious problems and they point out the most important ones. Read more: How many are the candidates for beekeeping interventions for 2025? For example, as of October 1, 2025, the number of registered agricultural farmers – beekeepers has dropped to 5,900 from 6,500 ten years earlier and close to 12,000 in 2020. When Bulgaria joined the European Union, their number was around 20,000, which indicates a drastic decline and a worrying trend. The results for the absorption of funds for beekeeping interventions for 2025 show that 3,883,000 leva remain unabsorbed. This places Bulgaria last in the EU with only 62–65% of the planned funds absorbed. Particularly worrying is the failure to implement the intervention for the control of bee diseases, and most notably with varroatosis, ...