Every third tomato, pepper, and cucumber produced in Bulgaria finds its way to international markets, as detailed in a report by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food. The 2023 agrostatistics reveal that Bulgaria exported 39.2 thousand tons of fresh vegetables, marking a 2% increase from the previous year. However, preliminary figures for the initial five months of 2024 show a 14.1% decline in fresh vegetable exports, totaling 16.4 thousand tons. This early data may not fully represent the year's outcome as it excludes the peak period of Bulgarian vegetable availability from open fields, which extends into late autumn.
The preference for exporting high-quality vegetables at more favorable prices to countries with higher economic standards results in a temporary scarcity of Bulgarian tomatoes, supplanted by imports from Poland. The export portfolio predominantly consists of tomatoes, cucumbers, gherkins, and sweet peppers, primarily destined for EU markets. In 2023 and the early months of 2024, over 98% and 99% of these exports, respectively, were directed towards EU member states, including Poland, Romania, Germany, Hungary, Greece, Czech Republic, Croatia, and others. Notably, Germany and Romania are key markets for sweet peppers, while tomatoes are mainly exported to Poland, Romania and Hungary.
Source: Slobodenpecat