On 12 June 2012, an association was set up in the conference room of the Institute for Regional Strategies by the attending vegetable and fruit producers from the districts of Burgas, Yambol, and Sliven.
Their decision to create this association was taken during a round table discussion of the problems in this industry in Bulgaria which was organized by the Institute for Regional Strategies.
The initial idea – to create a regional association – was developed into a proposal by the producers from the Southeast Region to attract other organizations to join them and other fellow producers from all over the country. Their ambitious enterprise aimed to revive the industry, and to ensure the proper planning, logistics, export, and an adequate national strategy for the reinstatement of the traditions of the Bulgarian vegetable and fruit industry.
The founders outlined the first steps of the new organization: prioritize the problems; draw up a plan to resolve them; set up an organization to implement the plan; nominate the partners and define the work rules. They appointed the management bodies – Nikolai Nedyalkov as Chair – an agriculturalist and a long-time producer from Burgas, and a Management Board. The constitutional papers list the main objectives of the association.
The first one is cooperation for the implementation of every project supporting the production of fruits and vegetables and keeping up the old traditions while meeting the high contemporary standards. The organization will promote modern organic technologies, create partnerships with central and local authorities, and work toward building an international reputation for the Bulgarian fruits and vegetables sector. The social integration of all people in this industry is also among the top priorities.