Ecological state of farmland in Bulgaria and measures for its preservation and improvement. A review
The area of arable land in Bulgaria continually decreases. Agricultural land is divided into 10 categories on the basis of soil quality and characteristics and into 8 classes on the basis of erosion degree. An increase of contaminated land has been observed. The most serious problem is water erosion as it affects 80% of the total arable land. On the contrary, the use of fertilizers and pesticides has decreased in recent years. Priority measures of the governmental policy have found place in the National Agriculture and Rural Development Plan over the 2000-2006 period.