Bulgarians currently consume less fruit and vegetables than the recommended minimum, according to a survey conducted by the National Rural Network. The main reasons are the low purchasing power of the majority of households, as well as increased imports, which have led to a reduction of the domestic production.
Adults should consume a minimum of 400 grams of fresh fruits and vegetables per day, according to the WHO. In Bulgaria, consumers eat less than 300 grams.
Imports, which have grown by nearly 20% in the case of vegetables and by 4% in the case of fruits, are considered to be partly to blame, as "the local production decreases. If there is an overflow of imported tomatoes, people do not consume them as much because they have no taste," said Danail Stefanov, who has been growing vegetables for 19 years.
The problem, according to Atanas Nenkov, a producer of hybrid tomato varieties in Novo Selo, Plovdiv, is that, due to the rising costs, it has become impossible to survive without subsidies.
Danail Stefanov states that, at the moment, subsidies in Bulgaria are ten times lower than the European ones, and as a result, "we, the producers, are finding it increasingly difficult to grow Bulgarian tomatoes."
