The Bulgarian Farmers' Union calls on large retail chains to provide free access to agricultural producers and processors to store shelves for 6 months. The goal is to reduce speculation and bypassing trade intermediaries. This is proposed by Georgi Stoyanov, chairman of the Bulgarian Farmers' Union. Currently, the chains are asking for fees to allow Bulgarian producers and processors to enter them. “We are calling on them to remove the fees for 6 months and see if prices will fall, and during this period to allow farmers and processors to deliver their goods directly to their warehouses“, said Georgi Stoyanov. This concerns vegetables, fruits, pickles, canned goods, honey, dairy and meat products, wine and other goods.
In Bulgaria, agricultural production is declining due to the lack of direct access to the market and also due to strong imports. According to Georgi Stoyanov, the state should focus its efforts on the functioning of the market, and not on separate campaigns to reduce prices. “The entire structure of trade must be put in order, it cannot produce competitive prices. Go to any market in Sofia and see how many empty stalls there are. This means that producers do not sell directly to consumers, but go through intermediaries. In the end, consumers buy expensively, and producers receive little for their labor. Obviously, there is something that drives them away from the market - whether it is high rents, administrative burdens or something else”, commented Georgi Stoyanov. He calls on the markets in Sofia to start providing free stalls to farmers once a week.
Farmers' costs are increasing, competition is intensifying, and the market struggle is becoming increasingly difficult, explained Georgi Stoyanov. According to him, it is not enough for farmers to simply produce good raw materials. If they do not participate in the next stages - storage, processing, distribution, creating their own brand and direct sales, a large part of the added value remains outside their farms, he said. According to him, farmers must build working partnerships that guarantee the producer a better position and a real share of the value of the final product.
Bulgaria has the capacity to produce more food than it consumes, but it still relies on imports, noted Georgi Stoyanov. Therefore, according to him, the focus should start from the domestic market by planning volumes, ensuring constant quantity and quality, and connecting farmers with processors, traders and local markets. As a successful step in this direction, he pointed to the concept of "Our Homeland" and the farmer events held in different cities, which is an initiative of the Bulgarian Farmers' Union.
Younger farmers advertise their products on Facebook or TikTok, where they post videos of the process of growing plants or animals. They manage to attract customers who see that their products are useful and of high quality, want to touch them and, after trying them, are convinced of this. But farmers who position themselves in the digital space are currently isolated cases, not a mass practice, Georgi Stoyanov pointed out. These are small farms, mainly family-type.
Most farmers rely on real meetings with end customers, such as farmer exhibitions. When a business is big, it relies on larger sales volumes, and Bulgarians still do not have the culture to shop for everything online, Stoyanov noted.
However, the opportunities offered by the Internet are a chance for farmers to develop, as they have difficulty entering retail chains. Producers who turn to the digital space to increase their sales must invest some of their personal time, as well as some funds for portable cameras, subscriptions to channels where they can present their goods, commented Georgi Stoyanov.
Recently, farmers who produce have also started to create their own websites thanks to their more affordable price in recent years. According to him, young people should be encouraged by providing them with access to land, as well as opportunities to train and exchange good practices. The development of young farmers is necessary to ensure continuity, and their creativity can push Bulgarian agriculture towards the competitive environment outside Bulgaria.