Major food chains and several farmers' markets in Bulgaria sell German and French potatoes as Bulgarian products. According to the potato growers association in the country, consumers are being misled.
"For a few months now, many German and French potatoes have had 'Bulgaria' on the label in the store as the country of origin," says Todor Djikov, chairman of the potato growers' association in Bulgaria. "The average consumer may not notice it, but a professional will immediately see the differences between the Bulgarian varieties and the German varieties." The association has already filed a complaint with the Tax Authorities and a request for an inspection with the Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority.
"Our storage facilities are full and farmers can barely keep their heads above water. At the same time, Western farmers seem to be receiving more government support," says Djikov. German potatoes are offered for a price of €4 to €6 per 100 kilos. The Bulgarian growers ask €11 per 100 kilos for the potatoes. "The fact that cheaper German and French potatoes are sold here is not a problem, but please put the origin on the label. Consumers who consciously choose to buy the more expensive Bulgarian potatoes to support local producers should not be misled in this way become."
Dutch export limited
The Dutch export of potatoes to Bulgaria has been very limited for years. In 2019, only 146 tons went to the country, in 2018 this was 152 tons and in 2017 the export figure was not much higher, namely around 193 tons. The last time a significant amount of potatoes went to Bulgaria was in 2010. Exports at the time amounted to 1.473 tons.