Browse Data and Analysis

FAS New Delhi projects India’s organic agriculture sector to be valued at $2.5 billion for the 2023/24 Marketing Year (MY). According to various sources, the domestic consumption of organic foods is trending upwards as the Indian consumer focus on health and wellness continues.

The U.S. Census Bureau’s bulk, intermediate, and consumer oriented (BICO) export data tracks U.S. food and agriculture trade shipped directly to Bulgaria. However, it does not measure the substantial levels of the U.S. agricultural trade to Bulgaria routed through Western European ports of entry.

On December 7, 2023, India's Ministry of Finance issued Custom Notification No. 64/2023, exempting imports of yellow peas (harmonized tariff system [HS] code 0713.1010) from customs duties and the Agriculture Infrastructure and Development CESS (AIDC) effective December 8, 2023, through March 31, 2024.

The Indian market remains a bright spot, as its economic growth continues in 2023. India is one of the fastest-growing major economies in the world despite the volatile geopolitical and economic conditions, India is on an upward trajectory.

Bulgaria’s grocery retail sector has remained stable and vital despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the galloping inflation, and the war in Ukraine. Grocery retail sales rose year-on-year by 2.8 percent in 2021 and 4.8 percent in 2022 as compared to the previous years.

As a European Union (EU) Member State, Bulgaria applies EU regulatory requirements for all animal- and plant-origin food and agricultural imports.

In a first of its kind, FAS New Delhi (Post) coordinated an Indian Buyers Mission to this year’s biennial ANUGA Food Fair 2023 (ANUGA) trade show (October 7-11, 2023, Cologne, Germany).

Bulgaria acceded to the European Union (EU) in 2007 and follows EU directives and regulations pertaining to food safety, quality and standards.

On November 28, 2023, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare/Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) published Order F. No: TIC-B02/3/2023-IMPORTS-FSSAI. This FSSAI order allows for the rectification of all non-compliant labels on imported food consignments at the port-of-entry.

FAS/Sofia’s marketing year (MY) 2023/24 sunflower production estimate is lowered to 1.7 million metric tons (MMT) based on the final harvest data. The sunflower crop suffered from severe and prolonged summer drought and high heat which reduced yields considerably.

Planting of India’s rabi season (i.e., winter sown, spring harvested) crops is progressing somewhat slower than anticipated due to relatively dry soil moisture conditions.

India remains undecided on genetically engineered (GE) crops and products derived from biotechnology (biotech) for food and feed use.