Fake products hinder organic farming
Conventional vegetables are more expensive than the organic products in Bulgaria
by Svetlana Trifonovska

Pari Daily/Business Media Group
December 10, 2007


The organic foods market in Bulgaria seems to differ significantly from the rest of the world. The prices of organic tomatoes and cucumbers sold in Germany are at least 30% higher compared to the price of the non-organic ones. The price difference stands at 50% in Italy and may reach 300% the UK. A check up conducted by the Pari daily shows that organic farming in Bulgaria is strongly underestimated.
Organic tomatoes were sold at prices ranging between BGN 1.2 and BGN 2.5 per kg at the METRO retail chain during the summer, Ivan Chomlev who specialises in organic farming said. At the same time the price of conventional tomatoes sold at pricey market-places in Sofia stood at BGN 4-6 per kg.
Certified producers of organic canned products have similar complaints. Lovech-based Nash Dom and Bio Bulgaria of Pazardjik are among the few certified food processors. Due to the lack of information and the poor control of the market the two companies suffer from the unfair competition of misleadingly labelled conventional products. At the same time the cost price of the organic products is at least 40% higher. Customers are able to verify which companies are certified on the website of the ministry of agriculture and food supply, Krassimir Kunchev of Balkan Biocert, an inspection and certification body, said. The list contains more than 200 companies, but the number of acting companies is ten times smaller, according to Kunchev.
If Chomlev sold his products in Germany his profits would be staggering as organic foods are very popular in Western Europe and the USA. A total of 56% of Germans are willing to pay the higher price of the organic vegetables, a survey shows.
Organic farming has growth potential and is a profitable business, according to experts. The sector has grown by 22% over the last year in the UK. The total EU subsidies for the sector are expected to amount to EUR 4 billion by 2010.