Bulgaria: Livestock and Red Meat Sector Update
In 2014 and 2015 the Bulgarian swine sector continued to shrink and the ongoing concentration and commercialization was accelerated. While local pork supply declined by 7.5%, demand increased and per capita consumption was 6% higher in 2014, met by competitive EU imports. Thus pork share in red meat consumption reached 80% v.s. 20% for beef. Beef farms were stimulated by the reform in the dairy sector. There was a good growth in the number of beef cows by 24% and a decline in dairy cows inventory by 4%. Dairy farms which are unable to meet EU milk quality requirements or are not competitive enough, have switched to beef production. There was a significant change in beef consumption trends in 2014. The demand for fresh beef meat, especially imported prime beef, flourished and imports jumped by 422% compared to 2013. The U.S. share in total beef imports also increased as a result of active promotions, including FAS/Sofia trade and marketing events.
