15.04.2024 / Delegation from the Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences Visits APACCCEEC
On April 15, 2024, at the office of the Association for the Promotion of Agricultural Cooperation between China and the Central and Eastern European Countries (APACCCEEC), Dr. Momchil Stanishev, Director of APACCCEEC, met with a Chinese delegation from the Institute of Apicultural Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences. Bulgarian companies manufacturing bee honey products also took part in the meeting.
On the Chinese side, the meeting was attended by Professor Tian Wenli, Deputy Director of the Institute of Apicultural Research, Dr. Wang Kai, Deputy Research Fellow at the same Institute, as well as Mr. He Jie, First Secretary in charge of agricultural cooperation at the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Sofia.
During the meeting, Dr. Stanishev, Director of APACCCEEC, outlined the activities of the Association, including: APACCCEEC’s Demonstration Zone situated in the city of Plovdiv and the Logistics Hub near Plovdiv, where foods, beverages and agricultural products from the CEE countries are exhibited; APACCCEEC’s initiative to feature thematic movies on topics relating to agriculture and food at the Demonstration Zone; APACCCEEC’s activities in the city of Plovdiv; as well as the liaison office in the city of Ningbo and the forthcoming opening of a new APACCCEEC Permanent Pavilion in Ningbo. Dr. Stanishev noted that, like the PRC, Bulgaria also has a research institution operating in the field of agriculture – namely, Bulgaria’s Agricultural Academy. He suggested that the Chinese delegation could visit APACCCEEC’s Demonstration Zone in the city of Plovdiv and attend the first edition of the firm screenings (“CineClub’) organized by the APACCCEEC.
Dr. Stanishev emphasized that Bulgaria is a producer of high-quality honey and that Bulgarian companies are able to provide some unique products. He pointed out that Bulgarian honey can be consumed in a variety of forms, including in desserts and in other combinations.
The Chinese guests noted that the PRC has the largest number of bee colonies in the world – more than 10 million in total. They specified that their goal is to familiarize themselves with the opportunities and characteristics of beekeeping in Bulgaria and expressed interest in scientific and research cooperation with Bulgaria in this area. They also offered assistance in promoting contacts between Bulgarian and Chinese companies with a view to supporting the export and import of honey and to introducing some Chinese manufacturers of equipment for the beekeeping sector. According to them, honey demand in China is high and Bulgaria could export such products to China.
During the conversation, the opportunities to establish contacts with Bulgarian companies producing honey were discussed. The Bulgarian honey manufacturers who attended the meeting provided an overview of their activities and presented a wide range of products, including organic products, bee honey with flower fragrances and combined with various spices, honey with chili, honey made from linden and acacia, polyfloral honey, products with propolis, royal jelly, cream honey, a product combining chocolate and honey, etc. The Bulgarian producers emphasized that Bulgarian honey is able to offer some unique aromas to Chinese consumers, such as linden, lavender and coriander. The Chinese guests, who tasted packages provided by the Bulgarian producers, were impressed by the diversity and innovative features of the Bulgarian bee products.
The Chinese delegation further paid a call to the Demonstration Pavilion of APACCCEEC in Sofia, located in APACCCEEC’s premises, and was introduced to the food and beverage samples from the CEE countries displayed in the pavilion.
