For years, state policy in Bulgarian agriculture has been reduced solely to the mechanical distribution of subsidies, without seeking competitiveness. Today, the sector is faced with a startling reality - a huge concentration in dairy processing, which threatens the entire domestic production, as well as the completely legal import of products sold as Bulgarian brine cheese. This was stated by the Minister of Agriculture and Food Plamen Abrovski in the program "Sabùdu se" on Nova TV.
„Agriculture has long ceased to be that romance of children's vacations in the countryside”, Minister Abrovski is categorical. In his words, since 2007, every minister has perceived the policy simply as “giving some money”.
According to the minister, it is precisely small producers who are experiencing the greatest difficulties, as they do not have access to the market. He adds that large processors refuse to buy their raw materials, justifying themselves with transportation costs. In order to change this, the ruling party from “Progressive Bulgaria” has already submitted a bill to regulate the so-called mutual aid fund, which would properly channel funds and help livestock breeders find markets, rather than relying solely on subsidies.
Deliberate monopoly: 70% of the market in the hands of one company
According to the minister, however, the most serious problem facing the sector is the unprecedented concentration of the market. Regarding the data presented by the Deputy Chairman of the Competition Commission Radomir Cholakov, that one company holds 70% of the milk processing in our country, the Minister of Agriculture responded with direct accusations against the former rulers.
„You should ask Mr. Cholakov himself, because his political party GERB allowed it. This happened during the time of a Commission for the Protection of Competition, which was dominated by GERB. And this is absolute political neglect of the sector, said Plamen Abrovski, commenting on how such a monopoly was allowed
Asked whether such a dominant position could happen by chance or through negligence, the Minister is categorical: „There is no way it could happen by chance or negligence. Realistically, this concentration is a sought-after reason and way to allow it. As far as I remember from the personal conversations I had, the idea was: “Allow us to buy, we will make investments to make it more modern, cheaper”. It is neither more modern nor cheaper. It is just that someone, somewhere along the chain, was looking for a reason to allow this thing”.
Abrovski also outlined the biggest risk to our national production, resulting from the decisions of the old CPC: “This thing is extremely dangerous. When I talk to dairy farmers, they tell me this: At one wonderful moment this company says: “I will bankrupt the dairy sector in Bulgaria!” You remember, if 70% of milk consumption goes to this company, the moment it says “I stop buying 70% Bulgarian, I start importing 50% from Greece, from Romania, from the Czech Republic, from Germany, wherever I want” – can it bankrupt the dairy sector? Yes, it can. And here the responsibility lies with those who allowed it”.
The minister also raised another worrying topic – the legal refusal of regulation, which allows brine cheese to be produced abroad, imported to our country and sold in boxes that create the illusion that the product is Bulgarian.
It became clear that the Ministry of Agriculture is planning to introduce new Bulgarian standards. The goal is clear information on the label – how much of the milk in the product is domestically produced and how much is imported, in order to ensure that Bulgarians consume quality food, which directly reflects on healthcare.
"Basket with Care" and foreign policy
Abrovski reported on the first month of the "Basket with Care" initiative, which 13 retail chains have already joined. The Consumer Protection Commission conducts daily price analyses, and retailers report huge interest from customers. Meetings with chains are forthcoming to include more entirely Bulgarian products in the initiative.