Bulgarian land is melting away: Nearly 7 million decares less in 16 years

Shortly after Bulgaria joined the European Union, in 2009, the area of land with agricultural purpose (ALAP) in the country was 54 million decares, while 16 years later it significantly decreased to nearly 47.7 million da. A decline is also observed in the utilized agricultural area (UAA), which in 2009 reached 50 million decares, and by 2025 falls to 45.8 million da. This is shown by the data from the survey on monitoring agricultural and economic conditions (BANSIK), which is conducted annually and through which not only the arable areas but also the change in employment on the country's territory is tracked. The survey itself has been conducted since 1998. Statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture indicate that as a result of the control over more than two-thirds of the surveyed points, which are updated frequently, a decrease is observed not only in the size of the permanently grassed areas but also in the utilized agricultural area (UAA) and the area with agricultural ...