National Export Strategy of Bulgaria should be developed. This is what has been discussed at the meeting of Minister of Agriculture and Food Dr. Miroslav Naydenov with representatives of the Confederation of Employers and Industrialists in Bulgaria / CEIBG /. We mainly export raw materials such as wood and grain, not processed finished products, the minister said. This should be changed and we should start to export products, he said. We have quality Bulgarian products which we could be proud of. Thus the value added remains in the country. The Minister reminded that the foreign trade balance in the agriculture sector last year amounted more than BGN 1.2 billion, while in 2009 it was BGN 390 million. There is an increase in exports, the minister said. He pointed out that under the common agricultural policy under the first pillar - direct payments support is greater, and thus grain production in the country is stimulated. However, vegetable production, livestock breeding and other sectors that produce traditional Bulgarian products with export orientation should be considered as well. They can be supported from the national budget. This should be a non-partisan priority, underlined Minister Naydenov.
President of CEIBG Mr.Ognyan Donev announced that Bulgarian export association has already been established with the Confederation. It includes companies that are interested in export of Bulgarian products to foreign markets. They may also use the channels of large retail chains for entering foreign markets. Ognyan Donev gave as example the Metro, which is the third largest retailer in the world after Wal-Mart and Carrefour. Package of measures to encourage bona fide employers in agriculture was discussed at the meeting today. President of CEIBG Ognyan Donev said that dialogue between the Ministry and CEIBG is very good and this should be an example for other ministries. He announced that Agricultural Committee was established to CEIBG to support the development of agriculture in our country chaired by Plamen Mollov.