Brussels - Slovenia would like to allocate EUR 150 million of the EU recovery funds for agriculture, Agriculture, Forestry and Food Minister Jože Podgoršek said on Monday.

Slovenia will be able to draw EUR 5.2 billion from the EU's recovery and resilience fund through 2026. The agricultural sector is not a priority as the funds are expected to be spent primarily on a sustainable and green transition, support environment for business and digitalisation.

Speaking to the press after an EU ministerial, Podgoršek said the main problem for agriculture was a lack of projects that could draw funds fast enough, which is why the focus will be on investment and "soft projects".

He highlighted digitalisation, innovations for a transition to green and smart agriculture, use of geothermal energy for food production, investments in the food supply chain, the establishment of a mutual fund for managing agricultural risks, and the creation of a centre for seed science.