Few weeks ago, the Bulgarian National Horticultural Union attended Freskon in Thessaloniki, Greece for the first time representing agricultural producers from all Bulgarian regions.
According to Mariana Miltenova, member of the Management Board, "The members of our organization are the country’s largest fresh cherry producers producing 50,000 tons and we are helping them find new markets. We also have producers of plums, cucumbers, peaches, mushrooms, tomatoes, red peppers or apples, as well as other vegetables and fruit.”
One of the union’s main goals is to help its members sell their produce, and to this end, they created an electronic wholesale market for fresh fruit and vegetables – “Gradinaria” (http://www.gradinaria-bg.com/). “It allows producers from all over Bulgaria to sell their products, adding information about quantities, price, variety, packaging, etc. We thought it was the best way to allow retailers to directly connect with producers in a short chain and put an end to intermediaries taking their profits and preventing the development of their production,” she explains. “It also allows traders to announce what they are looking for, and the negotiations are then carried out off site.”
At the moment, the platform which was launched in mid-July 2015 has approximately 700 members and it is visited by buyers in countries from all over the world, like China, the US, Germany and the Netherlands. "We´ve introduced it in the European market and recently, in the Middle East. We would also like to sell in the Scandinavian markets.
"Due to political situation in Bulgaria 15-20 years ago, Bulgaria has lost a considerable share of the international market. We are slowly recovering and last year, the government introduces a new policy to support the fresh produce industry," ended Miltenova.
