UpDate - Vol. 14, No. 8, Page 3
October 20, 1994
Management training; Bulgarians focus on agricultural marketing

     Six Bulgarians who work in agricultural marketing are visiting
the University through Oct. 24. Their visit is an extension of the
University's continuing presence in Bulgaria under a Management
Training and Economics Education grant, funded by the United States
Agency for International Development (USAID), as well as several other
federal and private agencies.
     The project brings to the U.S. Bulgarian agricultural
specialists, who are planning to undertake agricultural marketing
functions in their regions, including the formation of marketing
cooperatives or the handling of such activities by municipal
agricultural specialists.
     "Agriculture in Bulgaria is a key sector for economic development
and marketing is a key to agriculture," Tony Stitt, special assistant
in the Office of International Programs and Special Sessions and
coordinator of the project, said.
     "Bulgaria's diverse climate and ecology allows for the production
of specialty and traditional crops for domestic use and export. The
quality of the land generates superior quality crops," Stitt said.
     "However," he added "few buyers outside of Eastern Europe know of
Bulgaria's potential. And, given the nature of the previous command
economy, producers are not accustomed to studying the market,
structuring their production accordingly and rigorously pursuing new
buyers."
     The project is jointly conducted by the College of Agricultural
Sciences and the Office of International Programs and Special
Sessions, Stitt explained.
     A partner of the University in this project is Volunteers in
Overseas Cooperative Assistance. The overall project is funded by
Partners for International Education and Training (PIET) and USAID.
     While at Delaware, participants are being introduced to the
principles and practices of marketing and product diversification.
     The Bulgarians are learning how to identify new markets for
existing and new farm production, represent producers to buyers,
convince producers to cooperate with marketing activities and manage
marketing organizations.
     Two days are being spent in classroom seminars, and the remaining
time is being spent on site visits and cultural excursions.
     Site visits include farms, a processing plant, produce markets,
agricultural cooperatives, a brokerage company, the Port of
Wilmington, the USDA, the Delaware Department of Agriculture, the
Delaware Farmer Home Administration and the Federal Credit Bank in
Baltimore.
     Five of the six attendees are agricultural specialists for
Bulgarian municipalities.
     The sixth is a manager of a private agricultural cooperative.