Bulgaria plans food law changes to give domestic produce greater retail visibility

Government prepares changes by New Year

Bulgaria is preparing legislative measures intended to improve domestic farmers’ access to the national food market by New Year, according to reports by news.bg and Actualno.com. Yavor Gechev, a Progressive Bulgaria lawmaker and former caretaker agriculture minister, told bTV that amendments to the Food Act would give Bulgarian producers a stronger position in retail. He did not provide the text of the amendments or specify their implementation date.

Gechev said the state would introduce what he called “French labelling,” under which products made in Bulgaria would be placed at the front. The reports do not clarify whether this would apply to shelves, promotional displays or another part of the retail environment. The government is also considering a state-guaranteed label for restaurants, designed to verify that the origin or characteristics shown on a label correspond to the food being served.

The initiative is aimed at market access and product visibility rather than direct price negotiations between the state and retail chains. Gechev said the planned legal measures should “open up” the domestic market by New Year, but neither publication reported binding quotas, import restrictions or financial support levels.

Imports become symbol of competitive pressure

Gechev framed Chilean grapes and Jordanian melons as examples of the imported produce that Bulgarian growers face in the domestic market. He argued that weakening local production would increase reliance on imported food whose guarantees he questioned. The available reports contain no figures for Bulgarian output, imports from Chile or Jordan, retail market shares or price differences between domestic and imported fruit.

That distinction matters for traders and importers. The measures described by Gechev concern presentation, labelling and domestic producers’ route to market; the reports do not say that Bulgaria plans to prohibit grapes or melons from particular origins. Any commercial effect will therefore depend on the final wording of the Food Act amendments, the products and businesses covered, and how retailers must display compliant goods.

For Bulgarian growers, more prominent placement could improve visibility during the domestic season. Retailers and food-service operators, however, may face new verification and merchandising requirements if the proposals become law. Import suppliers will need to assess whether the rules change shelf positioning without formally limiting access to the Bulgarian market.

High markups and cooperative reform

Gechev said unusual market conditions began during COVID-19 and have continued, with markups along the supply chain higher than normal. He said these distortions can leave products costing two to three times more in the final segment of the market. The reports did not identify the products behind that comparison, provide underlying price series or divide the increase among farmers, wholesalers and retailers.

The government is also preparing a new Cooperatives Act. Gechev presented cooperative reform as part of an effort to restore confidence in the state and improve the functioning of the market. He additionally argued that financial payments would only postpone the problem without fundamental policies and a review of the Green Deal. For producers, processors and merchants, the practical consequences remain uncertain until draft legislation defines the labelling standard, enforcement mechanism and obligations across the supply chain.