87.9 thousand tonnes of fresh fruit and 103.1 thousand tonnes of fresh vegetables were processed in Bulgaria last year, according to data released by the country's Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry (MAF).
A total of 183 processing plants in Bulgaria produced 71.5 thousand tonnes of finished fruit products and 91.7 thousand tonnes of finished vegetable products.
The largest share of the processed fruits corresponds to those cultivated by Bulgarian producers, with 66 percent. Next in the ranking are those supplied by countries in the European Union (EU), with 18 percent, and those imported from third countries, with 9 percent.
Cherries are the most processed fruits, with 30 percent of the total, followed by apples (26 percent), peaches, (15 percent) and plums (14 percent).
Of the processed fresh vegetables, the largest share is supplied by Bulgarian producers (88 percent), followed by EU supplies (5 percent) and imports from third countries (3 percent). The largest share of processed vegetables corresponds to tomatoes (39 percent), followed by peppers (26 percent) and aubergines (6 percent).
Of the 71.5 thousand tonnes of processed fruit products, the share of canned foods (including jams and compotes) is 38 percent, that of frozen fruits amounts to 16 percent, and that of fruit concentrates and juices is 15 percent. These three major categories account for 69 percent of the processed fruit production, the MAFG added.
Lastly, of the 91.7 thousand tonnes of processed vegetables (which includes mixtures of fruits and vegetables), the share of cans (including mushrooms and potatoes) is 57 percent, while frozen vegetables account for 20 percent and concentrates and juices for 13 percent. These three major categories account for 90 percent of the processed vegetable production.
Source: fermer.bg
