For eight years now, Deliorman Group has brought together 52 producers from the dairy farming sector. What unites them are the challenges facing the market for traditional Bulgarian products such as yogurt, white brined cheese, and butter. The group’s headquarters is located in the town of Kaolinovo, Shumen region.

“The alarming trend of declining numbers of cattle and sheep in the country continues year after year. Our livestock farming keeps shrinking,” share members of the National Sheep and Goat Breeding Association (NOKA).

The industry also suffers from a lack of markets for milk, low purchase prices, and bureaucratic obstacles.

To meet these challenges, the farmers carry out joint sales of the products they produce and process from sheep, goat, and buffalo milk. Their association also helps with distribution to wholesale buyers.

A key factor in the success of the farmers’ joint project has been the support of the Bulgarian Development Bank (BDB).

The Bank has provided Deliorman Group with easier access to financing, helping it acquire the agricultural machinery needed for cultivating fodder crops. With the resources provided by BDB, the farmers have also purchased equipment for storing and transporting raw milk, as well as other tools for the livestock farms that are members of the group.

This has made it easier to maintain barns and pastures, saved time and manual labor, and improved the overall competitiveness and biosecurity of the farms.