Participants in the round table debate on food self-sufficiency, organised by the newspaper publisher Večer, focused on problems in pig breeding, where self-sufficiency has fallen to 35% from 70% a few years ago.

Minister for Agriculture and Environment Franc Bogovič described the trend as worrying with only two major farms left and many small farms gone in the past seven years.

A solution he proposed is for the breeders to get better organised and to make a joint appearance on the market. He also called for better pork traceability and technological upgrades.

His predecessor in office, Dejan Židan said the main problem was that the European market was controlled by three multinationals.

The parliamentary Agriculture, Forestry, Food and Environment Committee, which he chairs, therefore urged the authorities in charge to look into what could potentially be predatory practices.

Židan also pointed to the loss of jobs in forestry, which used to employ 40,000 people, but only does 10,000 now. He said that farms should also offer extra products such as tourism.

Head of the Pomurje section of the Chamber of Agriculture and Forestry Marijan Perša spoke of the problems of cattle breeders, in particular price disproportions, an issue that was also pointed out by wheat farmer Franc Štih, who accused foreign producers of trying to ruin Slovenian agriculture with shamelessly low prices.

Minister Bogovič pledged fast action to tackle the issues pinpointed today, announcing that the ministry would first review legislation to examine the possibility of deregulation, while strategic guidelines for agriculture and environment are to be adopted by the end of summer.