Association "Local Action Group - Elhovo - Bolyarovo" organized an intra-territorial mission to participate in partnership meetings for knowledge transfer and exchange of good and innovative practices with partnering LAGs from Bulgaria and Slovenia on the territory of LAG Balchik - General Toshevo in connection with the project "Eco-basket, please!" under administrative contract No. RD 50-54/17.03.2023, in which it is a partner.
In the period from 25.05.2024 to 27.05.2024, a delegation of 12 people, including the team of LAG - Elhovo - Bolyarovo, members of the General Assembly of LAG - Elhovo - Bolyarovo, as well as agricultural producers and producers of local products from the territory of the LAG, visited the territory of LAG Balchik - General Toshevo.
On May 25, 2024, the group of 12 people participated in the following events for knowledge transfer and exchange of good practices:
The delegation visited the AGRO-BIO CENTER established under the project "Eco-basket, please!" in the town of Balchik. The team of LAG Balchik-General Toshevo presented the activities of LAG Balchik-General Toshevo under the project, which is aimed at involving producers and processors who grow, process and use healthy, local and organic foods, as well as other stakeholders, in the goals of the EU strategy "from farm to fork", supporting the development of a fair, healthy and environmentally friendly food chain. A permanent exhibition of local products from the territories of the partner LAGs has started operating in the town of Balchik, through a truly functioning Agro Bio Center. In addition to providing information, consulting and training services, it will exhibit and promote local and organic products from the territories of the partnering LAGs from Slovenia and Bulgaria, forming the partnership "Eco-basket".
The group from LAG – Elhovo – Bolyarovo took part in the “Festival of Producers of Local and Organic Products “Traditions and Innovations in the Production and Promotion of Local and Organic Products” in the town of Balchik. The festival is part of the “Eco Basket, Please” project, implemented by LAG “Balchik-General Toshevo” and was attended by representatives of the partner local initiative groups from Slovenia and Bulgaria, members of the Management Board of LAG “Balchik-General Toshevo”, citizens, agricultural and organic producers from the region. The official opening of the event was at the Tourist and Cultural Information Center Melnitsata - Balchik. A musical greeting was given by the amateur artistic groups at the Community Center (Chitalishte) “Vasil Levski-1959” - Balchik. The participants had the opportunity to taste typical local dishes and Dobrudja specialties, prepared by the community center workers of the Community Center (Chitalishte) "Vasil Levski-1959" - Balchik, the Community Center (Chitalishte) "Yordan Yovkov-1941" - village of Zmeevo, the Community Center (Chitalishte) "Prosveta-1900" - village of Sokolovo and the Community Center (Chitalishte) "Hristo Smirnenski" - village of Senokos.
The delegation visited a Farmers Market with exhibitions of local and organic producers. The exhibition was located on the coastal promenade in the town of Balchik, as a participant in the farmers market from the LAG – Elhovo – Bolyarovo was ZP Georgi Georgiev - a producer of honey and bee products. The participants had the opportunity to view the exhibited products from various producers from the region and from the partner LAGs.
On May 26, 2024, the intra-territorial mission continued with the transfer of knowledge and exchange of good and innovative practices and visited various sites on the territory of the LAG Balchik - General Toshevo:
The group from the MIG – Elhovo – Bolyarovo visited organic producer “Eko Agro” AD, located in the Momchil area, near the town of Balchik. The company’s managers explained that the company is part of the “Albena Group” and is oriented towards organic production, processing, storage and sale of plant and animal products. The farm is organically certified and produces a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. The participants had opportunity to get acquainted with the entire production process of preparing 100% freshly squeezed apple and cherry juice. The farm’s managers explained that the farm raises about 400 cattle of the Aberdeen Angus breed, or better known as Black Angus, entirely on a pasture basis without the use of drugs, antibiotics or growth hormones. For the feeding of the animals, the farm has also specialized in the production of organic silage. According to the managers, the farm operates as a closed cycle. With the construction of the biogas plant, the final product from agriculture is used, and the final product from the plant - thermal energy, is used in the production of fruits and vegetables. Organic fertilizer is also used in agriculture, so the cycle is completely closed.
Then the delegation visited the town of General Toshevo, where a meeting was held with the Chairman of the Balchik-General Toshevo LAG and the Mayor of the General Toshevo Municipality – Valentin Dimitrov.
The group visited the “Festival of Producers of Local and Organic Products” in the town of General Toshevo, with the farmers’ market located in the central square and the exhibited products from various producers from the region were viewed. They were also joined by producers from the Tundzha-Sliven-Tundzha Valley LAG and the Elhovo-Bolyarovo LAG. The participant in the farmers’ market from the Elhovo-Bolyarovo LAG was ZP Georgi Georgiev – a producer of honey and bee products.
The next visit was to the enterprise "Skitia" for the production of grills and pepper roasters, General Toshevo. The company has established itself as one of the most successful enterprises in Bulgaria for the production and trade of small household electrical appliances - electric grills, party grills, pepper roasters and electric blankets and interior textiles. All products manufactured at the enterprise are environmentally friendly and energy efficient. An electric grill with a metal-ceramic coating was also presented, for which a patent was acquired in 2019.
The delegation visited also the "Kralskata Izba" (The Royal cellar), Balchik, and tasted a collection of different types of drinks, including the unique "Snezhno vino" (Snow wine), "Malinovo Merlo" (Raspberry Merlot), "Smokinovo vino" (Fig wine).
Together with the group from "Local Initiative Group - Elhovo - Bolyarovo", there was also a group from the LAG "Tundja-Sliven-Tundja Valley" and a delegation from the five partner LAGs from Slovenia, which allowed for the exchange of knowledge and information between all project participants.
The intra-territorial mission for the delegation from the LAG - Elhovo - Bolyarovo was organized by the contractor under Contract No. 19.3 - 2023-09 of 06.12.2023 "ATLAS TRAVELS" EOOD in implementation of the project "Eco-basket, please!", Administrative Contract No. RD 50-54/17.03.2023, under procedure No. BG06RDNP001-19.607 for the selection of projects for intra-territorial and transnational cooperation under sub-measure 19.3 "Preparation and implementation of cooperation activities of local initiative groups" of measure 19 "Community-led local development" of the RDP 2014-2020.
