Bulgaria places No. 1 in Europe and is among the leading nations worldwide as per exports of herbs, Novinar writes. Every year close to 17,000 tons of the life-giving plants are picked in this country. Most of the 200 herb varieties are used by the pharma, food and cosmetics industries, as well as in alternative medicine.

Due to the falling birthrate and emigration, Bulgaria’s workforce is set to shrink by 40% until 2050, writes Standart. This implies a decline of about 1.3 million individuals on the labor market and a slowdown of economic growth at 0.7% annually. The alarming statistics have been presented at a roundtable under the motto Ageing and Growth organized by the World Bank.

A Chinese company has been exploring the opportunity to manufacture electromobiles in Bulgaria, Trud reports. JAC Motors has been eyeing Bulgaria as a starting point to the European markets for the electromobiles and electric buses made by it. The Chinese side has said that in the case of a successful start the opportunity will be addressed for an assembly line based in Bulgaria using parts made locally.

Capital Daily reports that small farms will now be able to become bigger owing to a new kind of subsidies under an agricultural programme.  Those who breed animals or grow fruit and vegetables will have access to gratuitous aid to the tune of 15,000 euro so that they could make their farms 20% bigger. The total budget of the programme is 30 million euro, meaning at least 2000 farms will have access to financing.

English Daniela Konstantinova