14 February marks one of the leading celebrations in the Bulgarian calendar. The country’s romantics will have the opportunity to enjoy Valentine’s Day with a glass of wine in honour of Saint Trifon. This year they might also drink a toast to Bulgaria’s food and beverage industry.
The quality of the industry has recently been seen in the exporting of talented people, with hundreds of highly skilled food and beverage professionals distinguishing themselves in overseas hotels and restaurants.
A rise in product exports in 2012 could be the springboard for better news, with talent staying in the country while high quality goods are sent far and wide. Bulgaria’s exports to countries outside the EU rose by over 10 per cent during the first half of 2012, for an overall export sales value of almost seven billion euros.
Bulgaria’s neighbour countries Turkey, Macedonia and Serbia were prominent on the list of non-EU export destinations, but the rise in trade with China, Russia and the United States was even more encouraging.
What does Bulgaria’s food and beverage industry have to offer the wider world?
Thirty years ago Bulgaria was the world’s second largest producer of wine, but political changes and uncertainty led to a decline in production. Now this sector is reviving, in quantity and quality, with many vineyards busy again and national production figures reaching well over 100 million litres per year. Russia is a key importer of Bulgarian wine, with lucrative Asian markets also on the horizon
Anyone doubting what Bulgaria can contribute to international cuisine should look at the increasing number of visitors enjoying culinary tours of the country. Each region adds its own flavour to the pot, and the quality controls in Bulgarian agricultural industry open the door to increased exports. Final figures for 2012 are expected to confirm that Bulgaria has improved on its record food export year of 1985. Strong trade with the United States has been backed up by new activity in the Arabic world, notably with poultry and dairy exports to Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Bulgaria’s 122 poultry farms raise approximately 2.33 million hens, producing high quality meat and eggs enjoyed across an increasingly large part of the world.
Huge opportunities exist for the export not only of poultry but also pork. In China, for example, pork prices have never been higher. China is the leading producer and consumer of pig meat in the world, producing 46 million metric tons each year but consuming much more. Chinese consumers are also fond of cuts of meat that some of us may ignore. Successful exporters of pork to China will find their consumers eating offal, trotters and ears, as well as the pork chops and bacon that we enjoy at home.
It’s true that high quality Bulgarian food and wine speaks for itself, but it’s also true that exporters need to speak to their target audience eloquently and persuasively in a language they understand. At EVS Translations we can help you do exactly that.
Research has demonstrated that localising your message into the language of your target audience will help you to generate six times more revenue. EVS Translations can help open the door to the Bulgarian economy providing excellent Bulgarian translations. Bulgaria’s food and beverage industry is something to be proud of. We can help you share that pride.
Celebrations on the day of Trifon Zarezan mark the dividing line between the ending of winter and the nearing of spring. Could an upsurge in food and beverage exports lead to a new, warmer season for Bulgaria’s balance of trade?
We hope so.
“Take a big bite, don’t say a big word”.
Happy dining.
