Modern greenhouses in the Netherlands have reached great results in terms of productivity, with up to 120 kilos of cucumbers and 100 kilos of tomatoes per square metre, reported Slavi Trifonov, President of Bulgaria's National Association of Producers in the conference "Challenges for the development of the agricultural sector".
He explained that these are high-tech, air-conditioned and fully enclosed greenhouses with high energy efficiency, and where plants don't need to be sprayed against insects.
"We are far from this at the moment. For comparison, in Bulgaria we reach about 20 kilos of vegetables per square metre, but some producers usually yield 17-18 kilos.
"High-tech greenhouses are an expensive investment; about 250 euros per square metre, but it pays off after the fourth year," he explained. The main problem is that "producers have failed to secure bank loans."
Trifonov said that Bulgaria imports 85% of vegetables, although according to the World Food Organization (FAO), the country could provide fruits and vegetables to 50 million people.
Mikhael Pilke, head of the General Directorate for Agriculture to the European Commission, stressed that funding is a priority on Europe's agenda. He argued that producers often have difficulty accessing capital because after the recession banks tend not to take risks when it comes to the granting of credit.
Pilke reminded that Brussels' approach relies on the European Innovation Partnership, which aims to develop agricultural production in cooperation with research institutes. He stressed that the most important issue is the quality of the projects.
Forum agro-business representatives said there is lack of predictability regarding the legislative framework and that sometimes decisions are made at the last moment, without consulting professional organizations first.
Source: investor.bg