Browse Data and Analysis

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s (KSA) regulations allow the importation of biotech plant products, but they are required to be labeled if they contain more than one percent genetically engineered (GE) plant ingredients. As a result, many retail packaged food importers do not import biotech foods due to concerns that biotech labeling could jeopardize their image.

Grape production in Peru is forecast to reach 790,000 metric tons (MT) in marketing year (MY) 2024/2025, an increase of two percent compared to the previous year. The expected increase is due to improved climatic conditions in northern coastal regions which represents 48 percent of the total production area.

The Government of Bulgaria (GOB) continues to oppose agricultural biotechnology. Non-governmental anti-biotech organizations, local activists, and Bulgaria’s organics industry actively spread nonscientific disinformation about biotechnology. Meanwhile, Bulgaria’s poultry, dairy, and livestock stakeholders continue to import biotech-derived feed ingredients.

Since 2011, Peru has continued its moratorium on biotechnology due to concern on its impact to the environment. The scientific community, however pledges to adopt it . In January 2021, Peru extended the previous ten-year biotechnology moratorium for another fifteen years.

The food retail sector in Peru is anticipated to experience 5 percent growth by the conclusion of 2024, attributed to the overall enhancement in the country's economic landscape and targeted strategies devised by both the modern and traditional food channels.

FAS/Sofia has revised further downward its estimate for Bulgaria’s MY 2024/25 corn crop to 1.7 million metric tons (MMT) based on the latest harvest data and which, if confirmed, will be the smallest crop since 2012. This is due to the severe summer heat and drought.

Total Saudi wheat imports for 2024/25 are forecast to reach 4.25 MMT, an increase of 2 percent over marketing year (MY) 2023/24.

FAS/Sofia estimates a reduction in Bulgarian oilseeds crops in marketing year (MY) 2024/25 due to extremely hot and dry weather conditions in July and August. FAS/Sofia estimates the rapeseed crop at 190,000 metric tons (MT), down nine percent from last year and 36 percent from two years ago.

FAS/Sofia has revised downward its estimate for Bulgaria’s MY 2024/25 corn crop to 2.2 million metric tons (MMT), which if realized would be the smallest crop in over a decade. This is due to severe summer heat and drought in July and in early August.

The Bulgarian livestock industry is experiencing strong production growth in 2024, following the expansion of swine numbers and commercial cattle numbers in 2023.

FAS/Sofia expects growth in Bulgarian poultry production in 2024, driven by declining feed/production costs and improving competitiveness, as well as by continued growth in consumer incomes, travel, and tourism.

The major export certificates required by Saudi Arabia’s regulatory and import control agencies are included in this Food and Agricultural Import Regulations and Standards (FAIRS) - Certificates Report. These certificates are required for the importation of food and agricultural products into the Kingdom. Information in this report supplements the FAIRS Annual Country Report.