Kiril Vatev: The raw materials should be processed here, instead of exporting grain and importing meat and milk.

Published Dec 15, 2025

Tridge summary

Our agriculture has potential and we can feed 30 million people. Agriculture means food – the final product. We have huge producers and they produce raw materials that need to be processed here, at home, and not export grain and then import meat and milk, said former Minister of Agriculture Kiril Vatev to BNR. "We need to do as we did years ago because there is a big danger. 100% of the seeds here are imported, and at least 30% should be Bulgarian. Because the magic of Bulgarian food is the soil, which is living matter. And this environment needs to be maintained, that's the great magic. If we do not take care of this living matter – the soil to feed the plants, we will have no yields, we will get sick, we will import from outside and wonder where it comes from," Vatev warned. According to him, our cooperatives are frightening because of what happened after 1944 – forced nationalization, the introduction of the Agricultural Cooperatives, which have nothing in common: "This is the biggest blow to Bulgarian mentality and national psychology..."

Original content

Our agriculture has potential and we can feed a population of 30 million. Agriculture means food – the final product. We have huge producers and they produce raw materials that need to be processed here, at home, rather than exporting grain and then importing meat and milk, said former Minister of Agriculture Kiril Vatev to BNR. "We need to do as we did years ago because there is a great danger. 100% of our seeds are imported, and at least 30% should be Bulgarian. Because the magic of Bulgarian food is the soil, which is living matter. And this environment needs to be maintained, that is the great magic. If we do not take care of this living matter – the soil that feeds the plants, we will have no yields, we will get sick, we will import from outside and wonder where it comes from," Vatev warned. According to him, our cooperatives are frightening due to what happened after 1944 – forced nationalization, the introduction of the Agricultural Production Cooperatives which had nothing ...
Source: Agri

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