Bulgaria is the world leader in lavender production
Bulgaria is the next country to host a low-budget press trip in this year’s busy ENAJ schedule – with the added attraction of meeting the EU’s farm ministers, as they convene for June’s Informal Council Meeting in the current EU Presidency state.
As well as the ‘meet the minister’ session, this year’s itinerary includes ‘balneotourism’ – Bulgaria is rich in mineral springs – organic fruit and vegetables, dairy farming, winemaking and more, plus accommodation in an ‘eco-hotel’ with its own botanical garden and greenhouse for vegetable production. Herbs and flower production will also feature heavily: Bulgaria is the world leader in lavender production, and of all the world’s herb species, 92 per cent are found growing in Bulgaria.
“These ‘meet the minister’ events have become an annual staple within ENAJ’s press trip schedule,” says Adrian Bell, ENAJ communications manager, “with visits to Denmark, Ireland, Greece, the Netherlands, Estonia and Latvia over the last six years.
George Eustice, the UK’s agriculture minister, at a previous Council meeting held in Riga, Latvia in 2015.
“During each of those Presidencies, ENAJ and the host country has strived to produce a valuable programme of visits, catering to all tastes and interests, to provide ENAJ members with a variety of ‘take-home’ stories and knowledge about member states’ agricultural industries.
“This year, our colleagues in the Bulgarian Guild have worked closely with their Agricultural Ministry to draft a very informative and exciting programme for June, in addition to the unique opportunity to meet, and interview, the EU’s 28 agriculture ministers in the same room.”
The event takes place from June 2-5. As usual, participants will have to make their own way to and from Sofia airport, and pay a contribution towards the cost of accommodation, meals and transport. Fees will be €100 for a sharing room and €160 for a single room.
Read on for the full itinerary.
Interested? Send an email to your usual guild contact, to reach them no later than Thursday 10 May.