Minister of Agriculture and Food Kiril Vatev and the Ambassador of Spain to Bulgaria HE. Alejandro Polanco Mata discussed the contribution of agricultural cooperatives to the development of the economy and the possibilities of expanding trade in agricultural goods between the two countries at a meeting at the Ministry of Agriculture.
The Ambassador briefed Minister Vatev on the priorities of the Spanish EU presidency in the field of agriculture and fisheries. He presented data on the development of agricultural cooperatives in Spain, pointing out that the sector creates jobs and is cost-effective. In addition, he pointed out the increase in the number of young farmers the fact that the sector is providing a significant number of jobs for women, including in management positions.
“Spanish cooperatives are a successful working model and we are keen to take advantage of this know-how because of the serious advantages that farmer association provides. This is particularly important in terms of successful marketing of agricultural products," Minister Vatev added.
The Minister of Agriculture and Ambassador Polanco also commented on the Spanish model of centralized urban markets and regional farmers' markets. The ambassador said that these structures provide price predictability for farmers and direct access to consumers.
Minister Vatev noted the importance of short supply chains for agricultural producers, including trade in fresh products. He added that the mentioned successful examples could be useful for improving the competitiveness of smaller farms in Bulgaria as well.
Among the topics of their discussion was the current situation on the grain market.