Over the past few years, there has been a decline in the production of fruits and vegetables in Bulgaria. According to a statement by Kiril Vatev, the Minister of Agriculture of Bulgaria, as of the summer of 2023, they account for less than 40% of the products sold in Bulgarian markets.

In the first week of August, the prices of fruits and vegetables increased in the markets of Bulgaria. Prices increased for all fruits except bananas, which became 3.6% cheaper. Regarding vegetables, prices moved in different directions this week. Cabbage experienced the highest increase at 11%, while cucumbers saw a price hike of 5.9%. On the other hand, tomato prices decreased by 5.3%. Carrots also became cheaper. These observations are based on data from the State Commission for Commodity Exchanges and Markets.

As a result, members of the expert council have united around a common goal: to explore mechanisms that would enable fruits and vegetables produced in Bulgaria to occupy a more substantial share of the market in the country. The agricultural department and its branch aim to achieve a balance between imports and Bulgarian production of no less than 50-50 until next year.

When asked if the government would implement import restrictions during the active season to support Bulgarian production, Minister Vatev expressed uncertainty about whether domestic production could meet market demands.

For this reason, one of the initial steps that the Ministry of Agriculture will take is a thorough market analysis of the situation in the fruit and vegetable sector.

Source - https://www.freshplaza.com