Bulgaria Expects Sizable Grain Exports to Israel, Gulf States

Agriculture Minister Naydenov (left), together with two of his predecessors Krastyo Trendafilov and Ventsislav Varbanov, after he won a "harvester rodeo" riding in the newer harvester pictured behind. Photo by BGNES

Bulgaria is hoping to get BGN 1 B from the exports of grain from the 2010 harvest, Agriculture Minister Miroslav Naydenov has announced.

Naydenov, together with two of his predecessors Krastyo Trendafilov and Ventsislav Varbanov gave start to the harvesting of the crops on Thursday near the northwestern town of Byala Slatina.

“Minister Mladenov wished for a bountiful harvest and placed BGN 1 coin in an ear of wheat. Director of the State Agriculture Fund Kalina Ilieva did the same thing. The Chair of the National Association of Grain Producers Radoslav Hristov placed a coin of BGN 0.5, wishing for higher market prices of the grain,” announced the press service of the Bulgarian Agriculture Ministry.

Bulgaria’s wheat production in 2010 is expected to be between 3.6 and 3.9 million tonnes; of those, some 2 million tonnes will be exported as will be over 1 million tonnes of barley, corn, and other grain crops.

Countries such as Israel, Qatar, and Kuwait are expected to be the major clients of Bulgaria’s grain producers, Minister Naydenov announced while also shying away from commenting on the grain prices in Bulgaria in order not to affect the domestic market. He did underscore the fact that the international market prices are a key factor for the domestic grain price.

In order to prove that the Bulgarian farmers have modern equipment, the Agriculture Minister participated in a “harvester rodeo” in the fields near Byala Slatina.

Riding in a brand-new harvester purchased with funds from the EU Rural Development Program, Naydenov and State Agriculture Fund head Ilieva beat another older harvester. The Minister revealed official data showing that 3.2% of all agricultural equipment in Bulgaria was replaced with new machines in 2010 so far.

The National Association of Grain Producers has demanded that money from the unpopular measures of the EU Rural Development Program be redirected to the modernization of farms. Agriculture Fund head Ilieva said Bulgaria had asked the EC to approve this shift.

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