Bulgaria’s wine industry reports drop in exports, domestic sales

Exports of Bulgarian wine were 70 per cent less in the first half of 2009 than in the first six months of 2008, while at the same time, domestic sales of wine fell by 35 per cent.
 
This emerges from separate statements by the country’s National Vine and Wine Chamber and by Branimir Botev, head of the supervisory board of the Rozova Dolina winery.
 
According to the National Vine and Wine Chamber, quoted by Bulgarian daily Standart, exports in 2008 were in turn lower than in 2007.
 
In H1 2009, exports of bottled wines decreased by 21 per cent and of draught wines by 30 per cent.
 
Going by the chamber’s figures, Russia and Poland were the major customers – 63 per cent of exports went to Russia and 19 per cent to Poland.
 
Earlier, Rozova Dolina’s Botev told Pari that domestic sales in H1 2009 had dropped 35 per cent and imports of wine by 15 to 20 per cent.
 
Botev blamed the decline on the global economic and financial crisis and a lack of appropriate legislation in Bulgaria.
 
Unsold quantities of wine were likely to make their way to the "grey" market, Botev said.
 
National Vine and Chamber head Plamen Mollov said on September 1 2009 that a huge share of the grape output was used for unlicensed production of alcoholic drinks.
 
Mollov said that only half of the grape output was purchased by legitimate producers and the relevant authorities had no information about the rest: who bought it and what it was used for.