Livestock farms in Bulgaria are drastically decreasing

The contraction of production in the milk and dairy products sector
in Bulgaria is dramatic. The problem mainly affects small farms and
livestock farms, CITUB says. It analyzes and compares data on prices
and production in various areas every month. However, milk
consumption in our country is not decreasing and the missing
quantities are actually being replaced by dairy products imported
from abroad, the trade union notes. Imports of milk from abroad keep
prices constantly high and this problem has been reported by both
producers and consumers over the past 4 years.

According to data from the Commission for the Protection of
Competition (CPC), dairy cows have decreased by 25% for the period
from 2020 to 2025, and ewes have decreased by as much as 40% for the
same period. This also affects the number of farms, as cow farms have
decreased by 66% over the same period. Everything affects the entire
milk and dairy production sector in Bulgaria, CITUB alarm and
demand protective measures from the state.

“The
pricing and value-added distribution model for the dairy sector over
the past 5-6 years has led to a systematic suppression of the
producer price, hence a dramatic reduction in small and medium-sized
farms and the entire livestock of buffaloes, sheep and cows. As a
result, Bulgarian milk production has dramatically decreased.
However, the markups remain the same – we encounter between 90% and
130% markups on dairy products in retail chains. This is a scandalous
number and the consumer in Bulgaria continues to pay the highest
price in the EU for dairy products.”

There
are many problems that owners of small farms and livestock farms
face, the Todorov family confirms. They have a farm with 60 cows and 60
sheep in the village of Lozen, near Sofia. This is a hereditary
livelihood for generations, so no matter how difficult it is, they
continue to survive, despite all the measures and requirements from
the state. “There is no day off for us, as work on the farm is
every day of the year,” says young farmer Gabriela Todorova.
According to her, it is almost impossible for small farms in the
country to reach the store network:

“Because
the state and the EU requirements in our country do not help. In
comparison, we see Serbia and Türkiye, where these EU requirements
are not there,” says the Bulgarian farmer and continues with the
comparisons: “There people have more farmers’ markets where you
can buy cheese, milk, and yellow cheese, directly from the producer.
While here three institutions come, they crush your business, and
everything goes backwards. Even ours is not exactly a business,
because for farming to be a business, you need to have many more
animals to raise in order to make a profit. For the animals we raise,
we receive subsidies of between 4,000 and 6,000 euros. Last year we
did not receive such subsidies, and with this money we cannot even
feed the animals for a month and a half. There is another serious
problem – we suffer from a lack of veterinarians. In our region of
Pancharevo, for about 20 villages, we have only one veterinarian.
Young doctors orient towards caring for dogs and cats and do not pay
attention to farm animals. For these reasons Bulgarian farms are
dying.”

And
one more fact – the average age of livestock breeders in Bulgaria
is 68.

“These
are elderly people, many of whom do not have the opportunity, let
alone the time, to go and submit their documents according to the
requirements of state agencies. These people can barely take care of
the animals, which is why the livestock is decreasing. Everything has
been made extremely difficult and this is an obstacle for food
producers. In some time people will look for pure farm food, but
there will be nowhere to find it,” Gabriela Todorova warns.