Bulgaria: Livestock and Products Annual
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African swine fever (ASF) presented significant challenges for Bulgaria’s livestock industry in 2019. ASF drove Bulgaria’s total 2019 swine inventory down by 25 percent and the number of swine farms by 74 percent. While most backyard farmers have stopped raising pigs, commercial hog production has rebounded somewhat in 2020. Post estimates that 2020 will be a recovery year for Bulgarian pork, and the national beef herd will continue to grow. Consumer demand for many animal proteins has softened during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, particularly due to the destabilization of the hotel, restaurant, and institutional (HRI) industry. Although meat retail sales have been more resilient, Post expects the HRI downturn will result in lower red meat consumption and trade. Post further expects the Bulgarian demand for meat will rebound in 2021.
