More than EUR 1 billion will be invested in agriculture and rural areas in Bulgaria in 2025. According to a decision by the Monitoring Committee of the Strategic Plan for Agricultural Development, the funds are aimed at modernizing agriculture and developing local economies, with part of the money earmarked for irrigation.

The reception of strategies under the "Community-Led Local Development" approach will begin in January next year, with a budget of nearly EUR 370 million. The aim is to increase employment and incomes and improve social services. There is also a budget of nearly EUR 100 million for the modernisation of the irrigation infrastructure. Three separate procedures will also be opened to stimulate the development of non-agricultural activities in rural areas. These are manufacturing, service provision and handicraft activities, which have a total budget of around EUR 100 million.