Antoaneta Yoveva

In: UA Magazine 9 - Financing Urban Agriculture

Traditionally, agriculture plays a significant role in the Bulgarian economy. Small urban farmers form a substantial and increasing part of the agricultural sector. Most urban agriculture in Bulgaria is for subsistence. Some agricultural lending programmes have been introduced, but the funding levels are insufficient to compensate for modest bank credit. The banks persist in their conservative approach to lending in general, and to agriculture in particular. Apart from relatives and commercial bank credit, rural and urban agriculture in Bulgaria currently relies on several international lending programmes, discussed in this article.