In North-Eastern Bulgaria, cherry producers face significant market access issues, contrasting with their counterparts in the Southern region where organized buying exists. Producers like Borka and Valentin Todorovi, who cultivate 100 acres of cherries near Glodjevo, are expecting to harvest approximately 500 kilograms per acre this year. However, they struggle with selling their produce, relying on day-to-day sales in limited quantities across towns like Razgrad, Varna, Shumen, and Ruse. Valentin highlights the absence of large purchasing and processing centers in their region, attributing the gap to the prohibitive cost of transportation from distant areas.
The situation is exacerbated by the reduction in prices offered by buyers, with reports of 20% lower rates than the previous year near Slivo Pole, while operational costs, including labor wages, have surged by 30%. The Todorovis point out the rising expenses in production inputs and the difficulty in achieving selling prices that could offset these costs. In instances of failing to sell their cherries, the fruit is diverted to brandy production, which barely covers the picking costs. The Todorovis advocate for the establishment of local centers to buy, sort, cool, and package cherries for export, asserting the superior quality of their produce. They also reference the challenges posed by recent regulatory changes in Romania, which now restricts their access to previously available markets.
Source: fakti.bg