site.btaDutch Initiative Provides Experience Exchange for Bulgarian Fruit Producers

The initiative Netherlands Fruit Basket Bulgaria (NL Fruit Basket BG) is inviting Bulgarian producers, agronomists, and representatives of the fruit sector to the Netherlands from August 10 to 13 for a visit focused on innovative and sustainable fruit production, the initiative announced on its Facebook page.

The programme offers visits to leading fruit farms producing apples, pears, and berries, as well as modern nurseries with the latest varieties. Participants will also visit the Fruit Research Centre at Wageningen University and Research, a leading applied research center in horticulture, as well as companies along the entire from orchard to consumer value chain, including production, sorting, logistics, and sales.

Topics for discussion include new fruit varieties, irrigation, precision agriculture and digitalization, sustainable production, and adaptation to climate change, among others. The visit will also provide opportunities for exchange with Dutch producers and experts, as well as potential partnerships.

At the beginning of June, the NL Fruit Basket BG initiative brought Dutch experts and companies to Bulgaria, AGF reported. They held a series of meetings with local producers and two training sessions focused on the cultivation of soft fruits, pome fruits, and stone fruits.

During a tour of the country, the delegation met with Bulgarian fruit producers, discussing opportunities for cooperation. The training sessions were attended by more than 40 producers and experts, who exchanged experience on local conditions for fruit cultivation and market requirements.

One of the sessions took place at the Institute of Fruit Growing in Plovdiv, where in 2025 an experimental apple orchard was planted using planting material supplied by the Dutch nursery Fleuren. The publication recalls that the aim of the pilot project is to test different planting systems, tree training forms, and cultivation methods under Bulgarian conditions.

The NL Fruit Basket BG initiative is a three-year programme bringing together fifteen Dutch companies that provide solutions and expertise for fruit production in Bulgaria. The initiative is supported by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency and is implemented with the assistance of the Netherlands Agricultural Network and the Embassy of the Netherlands in Bulgaria, the publication reports.