Imitation Dairy Production Soars by 20% in Bulgaria Amid Rising Imports

A sharp increase in the production of imitation dairy products has been observed in Bulgaria, according to the latest information board on "Milk and Dairy Products" published by the Ministry of Agriculture. The data reveals that in the first four months of this year, 4,365 tons of dairy products with vegetable oils were produced, compared to 3,634 tons in the same period last year, marking an increase of nearly 20%.

Despite ongoing complaints from Bulgarian livestock breeders about the pressure from imported products and the low purchase prices of their own, a significant amount of dairy products continues to be imported into Bulgaria. In 2023, the country received 10,500 tons of cheese and cottage cheese from Germany, nearly 7,000 tons from Poland, and similar quantities from the Netherlands. Additionally, nearly 13,000 tons of dairy products were imported from Italy, Romania, and Belgium.

This influx of imported dairy products is impacting local milk production. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Bulgarian livestock breeders produced nearly 792,000 liters of milk in 2023, which is almost 150,000 liters less than in 2021. Furthermore, the purchase price of milk in Bulgaria last month was below the average level for the European Union countries.