site.btaBulgarian-Chinese Cooperation in Agriculture Has Expanded in Recent Years - Deputy Minister Vasileva

Cooperation between Bulgaria and China in the field of agriculture and food has been expanding actively in recent years, with Bulgaria ranking as a leader among Central and Eastern European countries in exports of agricultural and food products to the Chinese market, said Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Lozana Vasileva during the Bulgarian-Chinese Business Forum, held here on Monday.

The event was organized by the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI), with the support of the Ministry of Economy and Industry (MEI) and the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Sofia. The occasion is the 18th session of the Bulgarian-Chinese Intergovernmental Joint Commission for Economic Cooperation, hosted in Sofia.

“In recent years, the traditionally good cooperation between Bulgaria and China in agriculture and food has been developing very actively and constantly expanding. In 2023, trade in agricultural and food products between Bulgaria and China reached a record value of USD 604 million, with the value of Bulgarian agricultural exports to the Chinese market doubling year-on-year to USD 517 million,” Vassileva said.

According to her, in 2022 and 2023 Bulgaria ranked first among Central and Eastern European countries in terms of exports of agricultural and food products to China.

“Due to the great volatility of global markets recently, for 2024 we are in second place,” she noted.

Vasileva pointed out that in recent years the Ministry of Agriculture, together with the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency and China’s General Administration of Customs, has been working intensively to complete the procedures necessary to meet import requirements for a number of Bulgarian agricultural and food products.

“A total of 39 such procedures have been initiated, of which 12 have already been completed with the signing of the respective protocols and bilateral approval of the necessary certificates. We believe that completing the remaining procedures will create conditions for a significant increase in both the volume and variety of Bulgarian agricultural and food products exported to China,” she said.

The Deputy Minister also gave examples of successful Chinese investments in Bulgarian agriculture, including a company growing wheat, sunflower, and other crops, as well as a feed production plant.