Bulgaria and Romania are joining hands with a common strategy to save pig farming and vegetable production in the region. How do they see the implementation of this strategy and are pork prices expected to increase if Bulgaria enters the eurozone?
Stoika Niku raises two thousand pigs near the municipality of Fratesti across the Danube, Nova TV writes. He has reduced the number of animals on his farm to ensure better growing conditions and higher biosecurity. He says that in Romania, as in Bulgaria, goods from local producers are not enough to satisfy market demand.
„We have a lot of imports. Pork, Romanian production, is not enough, as are many other goods. Everything is getting more expensive, quality is sought after and the price depends on it”, explained Stoika Niku-farmer.
„The numbers of the week”: The number of farm animals in our country is decreasing, imports and exports are increasing
On the other side of the Danube, in Golyamo Vranovo, they are looking for a good market in our northern neighbor.
„We are already selling less. Our priority is the nearby market. Bucharest is within easy reach. For us, Sofia is much further and more difficult to realize”, said Vihren Dimitrov, owner of a pig farm.
Due to the similar problems with the large import of meat, farmers from both countries believe that if they work together they can negotiate the import and export of pork. The plans are for this to happen within two to three years.
“We have a huge niche in both Bulgaria and Romania. In two to three years we will satisfy the domestic market and become a net exporter of pork”, added Dimitrov.
As for whether there will be an increase in pork prices in the months before our entry into the eurozone, Dimitrov is categorical that a stock exchange commodity such as pork cannot artificially increase its price.