The Netherlands
May 28, 2025
The Netherlands is a well-known global leader and innovator in flower and ornamental plants production and trade. And eventhough Bulgaria is unlikely to appear at the top of your mind when it comes to flowers, the country has its traditions and offers favorable and diverse climate and soils, key geographic location, skilled labor, cheaper and abundant land and lower relative production costs. Therefore, experience and potential sounds like a good match, that could bring growth opportunities for businesses from both sides.
To explore this potential, a delegation from the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, led by Robin Peeters – deputy head of Sofia mission, and Sophie Neve – Agricultural Counsellor for Romania, Bulgaria and Moldova, went to the regions of Veliko Tarnovo and Targovishte in the North-Central part of Bulgaria. They visited two companies developing Dutch-Bulgarian partnerships in flower production – Brit-Rosaco and Otbrani. While each one of them represents a very different business case – in terms of history, products and partnership models – they are both telling about the right cooperative attitude that overcomes cultural and economic differences to realize this significant potential and deliver us plenty of colorful beauties.
Beeld: Robin Peeters – deputy head of Sofia mission, and Sophie Neve – LAN counsellor, during a business visit in the North-Central part of Bulgaria
Rose plants
It is the beginning of the 90s. The planned soviet-style economy has just collapsed in Bulgaria along with BuglarTzvet (Bulgarian Blossom) – the state-owned monopoly in the flower sector. The company used to maintain a large network of backyard rose nurseries – run effectively as toll manufacturing – one of the very few ways back then household were able (allowed) to earn some additional private income. With the company’s closure, hundreds of families were left with their ready rose plants without having anyone to collect them. The first connection with the Netherlands has been established by an international truck driver and a basic export trade has started.
Years later, in 2005, a Dutch-Bulgarian company was founded – Brit-Rosaco – in partnership with the Dutch cooperative Rosaco. In 2006, with support of the Dutch government under the PSO program, Brit-Rosaco built a modern sorting, processing and storage facility.
Today, the company operates one of the largest rose nursery fields left in Europe, growing more than 1 million rose bushes from about 200 different varieties. They are predominantly exported to EU, Turkiye and even Vietnam, but also sold domestically. Brit-Rosaco is an example of successful and lasting partnership, born out of tough times’ opportunities, that with professionalism and teamwork sustains through economic and geopolitical crises to deliver inspiration and beauty to households and communities.
One of the Brit-Rosaco’s rose fields near Pavlikeni, Veliko Tarnovo province.
Peonies
Otbrani is a family business founded by Nayden Petrov - one of the pioneers in berry growing in Bulgaria, that started about 20 years ago with less than 1 ha of raspberries. With dedication and professionalism, every year they were expanding the cultivated area and portfolio of berries. Currently the company grows raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, blackberries and redcurrant on approximately 90 ha and supplies major retails chains in Bulgaria and Romania. Striving for sustainable growth and efficiency, Otbrani works with leading international suppliers of technologies, materials and know-how, including partners from the Netherlands. Nayden was part of a study and business trip under the Netherlands Fruit Basket Bulgaria PIB program and the PIB business cluster visited Otbrani during a roadshow in Bulgaria in 2024 – both initiatives facilitated by the LAN office and Embassy of the Netherlands in Sofia.
In the meantime, the Dutch Bloemen van Winkel was looking to expand their peony production and gain more competitiveness. Given their very good experience with their skilled Bulgarian employees, the company has started exploring opportunities for production partnerships with Bulgarian horticultural growers. The LAN office arranged an introduction with Otbrani and the two sides exchanged couple of visits in a matter of weeks. On the top of very favorable soil and climate conditions in the region of Popovo, Targovishte, a business chemistry and cooperative attitude appeared, resulting in a new Dutch-Bulgarian partnership in flower production. Thus, in the autumn of 2024, the first test field of 1,5 ha of peonies have been planted. Half a year later, the initial indications are quite positive, prompting an interest from the Dutch partner for another 5 ha expansion.
The test field of Dutch-supplied peonies in their first year at Otbrani’s location near Popovo, Targovishte province.
The sky is the limit
Some say that the Netherlands is reaching its current capacity limitations in agriculture. But as the cliché goes, the sky might be the limit and Bulgaria. With its substantial growth potential and talent, it could be the sky for Dutch entrepreneurial spirit, experience and knowledge. With flowers and ornamental plants being a hidden gem sector for a perfect bilateral match. And while, indeed, the business environment in Bulgaria could be challenging at times and have cultural differences, the Netherlands Agricultural Nework and the Embassy of the Netherlands in Sofia are available to help and facilitate Dutch businesses in their quest for partnership opportunities and sustainable growth.
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