PRESENTATION OF TUNDZHA MUNICIPALITY 8600 Yambol city No. 1, Osvobozhdenie square Phone: (++359) 46 66 15 65 Fax: (++359) 46 66 15 75 Web site: http://www.tundja.net General information and infrastructure Territory - 1,218.9 sq. km Number of population centers - 44 Population - 28,998 Administrative center - Yambol city ( special standing ) Tundzha Municipality is located in the southeastern part of the Thracian Valley. It occupies a huge area, which makes it one of the biggest Municipalities in the country. It borders on the municipalities of Straldzha, Sliven, Nova Zagora, Topolovgrad, Elhovo and Bolyarovo. The Municipality includes 44 villages spread around the municipal and regional center Yambol, which is the administrative center of Tundzha Municipality. Their maximum distance from Yambol is 45 km. The smallest village is Vidintsi - 32 residents. The total length of the municipal road network is 426.4 km, 228.1 km of which are first-, second- and third-class national road network, 158.3 km comprise fourth-class network and 40 km are local roads. After opening Lesovo border control point a connection will be established among Turkey, Bulgaria and Romania along first class road1-7. In the future road 1-7 will connect the Municipality with Trakia highway, too. The transport infrastructure is complemented by 36.6 km of railroad network. Daily bus transport to each town and village is secured. The communication network is developed through 28 automatic exchanges and the population is served by 11,000 telephone posts. A network of 31 post and telegraph offices is developed in the Municipality. Cell phone operators cover 98% of the territory. There is one Internet supplier - the Bulgarian Telecommunications Company (BTC). The towns and villages are 100% supplied with water, and sewerage networks are partially built. The electricity supply of the Municipality is secured by 220 and 110 kV power lines, 20 kV overhead lines and 1185.1 km low voltage lines, and 142 kiosk switchgears. Economy and business The agriculture is the main branch in the Municipality. Plant-growing and stock-breeding are the main occupations of a large part of the population. The favorable nature: fertile humus, humus-resin type and alluvial soils along the Tundzha River valley, as well as the relatively mild climate are suitable for growing various grain and bean crops, vegetables, industrial and essential oils crops, fruit orchards and vineyards; the above-mentioned factors are conducive to agriculture development. Cattle- and sheep-breeding, both for milk and meat yielding, goat-, pig-, rabbit-breeding, poultry farming and bee-keeping are developed. The analysis of the agricultural crops growing shows that the grain crops have the biggest share in plant-growing - 54%, followed by industrial crops - 15%, and essential oils crops - 10%. 101,007 properties of 39,185 owners with average area of 9,400 sq. m. per property have been established as a result of enforcing the Ownership and Use of Farming Land Act and with the preparation of land division plans. Agricultural land regrouping pilot project has been started. The project is financed by the Netherlands and the Bulgarian Government. The Botevo village agricultural land, which is divided into 4,277 estates, has been targeted by the project. After the regrouping the estates will become 2,700. The municipal land fund comprises of 22,338,000 sq. m. total, 6,706,000 sq. m. of which is arable land. 312,000 sq. m. of the arable land have been given to landless and poor people and 1,224,000 sq. m. - to the "chitalishta" (arts, culture and literature centers). The rest of the land has been rented or leased to farmers. The forests cover 111,450,000 sq. m. and consists mainly of oak, poplar, maple, ash-trees, sycamore, Austrian pine, hornbeam and willow. Considering its size and economic importance, stock-breeding is rated second in the Municipality's agriculture. 227 larger farms are registered in the Municipality, including agricultural co-operatives, lessees, tenants and owners. Edinstvo Co-operative in Botevo village is the biggest contributor: it tills 22,206,000 sq. m of agricultural land. Tundzha Municipality is one of the leading municipalities in freshwater fish breeding in the country. Out of 99 municipal dam lakes and reservoirs 19 have been granted under concession and 25 - rented, their total area being 22,206,000 sq. m. Mainly carp and bighead carp are bred. 347 private companies and co-operatives use the agricultural output to produce bread, confectionary, flour and fodder, feta and yellow cheese, meat and meat products, wine, liquor and soft drinks. The production satisfies fully the needs of the population in the Municipality. A big part of that production is sold in Yambol city and in Bulgaria. Mainly goose liver, wine and fish are exported. Aliance Agricol - ALAG OOD geese farm with slaughter-house, Chateau Ruco Wine-Cellar, a branch of Gradus-1 OOD poultry-raising farm, Bulgarian Yogurt dairy farm, Palfinger Produktionstechnik Bulgaria EOOD are of special importance for the development of the Municipality. Aliance Agricol - ALAG OOD in Okop village is a Bulgarian-French company specialized in the production of liver and meat from fattened ducks and geese. The production of the company is organized in more than 80 bases with capacity for breeding between 1,500 and 4,000 ducklings and geese each. Their own poultry farm in Okop is licensed for export to the European Union countries. Its daily production capacity is 4,000 ducks and 2,000 geese. Milanov Popov OOD roll mill in Kalchevo village can process up to 50 tons of wheat into flour and bran per 24 hours. It has licensed grain-store with capacity of up to 12,000 tons of grain equipped with a system for permanent temperature control and active ventilation. The Austrian machine manufacturing company Palfinger Produktionstechnik Bulgaria EOOD, specialized in the production of hydraulic cylinders, operates successfully in Tundzha Municipality. All the production of the company is exported. Bulgarian Yogurt dairy farm is located in Veselinovo village region. It produces yogurt, yellow cheese, feta, mozzarella, curd and others. All products are made from organic milk using high quality technologies. The company is licensed for export to the European Union countries. A branch of GRADUS-1 OOD poultry farm, Panagurishte, has been opened in Bolyarsko village. The branch is specialized in poultry-farming and 1,500 tons of chicken meat are yielded per month. Chateau Ruco Wine-Cellar joint-stock company, Hadzhi Dimitrovo village has been established. The company owns and grows 1,900,000 sq. m. of vineyards of Merlot, Cabernet and Muscat Ottonel varieties. 3,000 tons of grapes are processed annually. High quality wines are exported to England, France and Russia. Tehnometal - Georgi Popov - Yambol ET built a wind-power generator with 400 kW installed capacity in the region of Kalchevo village. After the one year monitoring period new generators will be built in the region. The Bulgarian-German company AGROBUL OOD is building on the Mogila village territory an Agrarian Center for buying up, sorting out, packaging and export of vegetables and fruits to the European Union countries. Strategic projects and opportunities for foreign investments Projects under the national programs of the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy, Ministry of Environment and Water, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works and the Ministry of Energy and Energy Resources are being implemented in the Municipality. The following projects are among the more important ones: Reconstruction of a school into a social care establishment - Elderly people home - Bolyarsko village; gully training in Ovchi kladenets village; gully training and stabilizing in Tenevo village; partial building of sewerage in Chargan village - 2nd stage; extension of the water-supply network in Okop village; extension of the water-supply networks in Okop, Karavelovo, Golyam Manastir, General Toshevo villages; kindergarten energy efficiency retrofit in Tenevo village; 32 small demonstration projects for building sports and playing grounds, community centers, retrofit of "chitalishta" (arts, culture and literature centers) , schools and churches. Projects, which investments are being sought for: Sewerage systems in Rosa, Veselinovo and Kukorevo villages; investment projects for the water sector for V i K EOOD (water supply and sewerage company) Yambol city, Eco-duga Tundzha project; general town planning scheme of Tundzha Municipality. Natural sights and monuments of culture The prehistoric settlement near Drama village, the ancient town of Kabile, Alexander Nevski temple-monument in Bakadzhik countryside, Erkesiata border trench are valuable evidences about the rich ancient history of the Municipality. The Drama prehistoric settlement mound named after the village is located 40 km to the southwest of Yambol in Merdjumekia countryside on the right bank of the Azmak River. The excavations of the mound and its microregion provide the opportunity of tracing completely the historical development from the IV millennium B.C. till the end of the Roman times. Kabile National Archeological Reserve is located 8 km to the northwest of Yambol. Kabile - one of the biggest and among the most important towns in Ancient Thrace originated in the 4 century B.C. and existed till the Middle Ages. A sanctuary and parts of fortress walls with a gate from the Hellenic epoch (4 - 2 century B.C.); fortified military camp with the adjacent public buildings and barracks from Roman times (III - IV century A.D.); Roman bath with hypocaust, two early-Christian basilicas with multi-colored floor mosaics and other architectural relics from the ancient city have been discovered and exhibited. Permanent display of articles discovered during the archeological researches has been established in the museum at the Kabile National Archeological Reserve. Gorna Topchia reserve located in the Konevets village territory is one of the famous natural sights in the area. There are natural dense forests and ring-necked pheasants there. Debelata Koria nearby Tenevo village - dense ash-tree forest and Tetralouka on the Simeonovo village territory, where the only natural field of the endemic type Tulipa splendens tulip can be found in Bulgaria, are protected areas. Bakadzhik forest park, which is a part of Bakadzhitsite mountain chain has quite favorable climate and curative air because of the Aegean Sea currents. The park spreads 15 km to the southeast of Yambol and its altitude is 515 m above sea level. The home-land of the American scientist and genius of Bulgarian origin, the inventor of the computer John Atanassov, lays on the territory of the Municipality. His family originates from Boyadzhik village. The village has been included in the tourist routes. The favorable climatic conditions and unique nature, Tundzha River, the smaller rivers and reservoirs, Bakadzhika forest park, the preserved territories and reserves with unique flora and fauna, as well as the rich distinctive folklore and traditions are important prerequisites for the development of hunting, medical, cultural and historical tourism and eco-tourism.