The food and agribusiness research and advisory service of Dutch finance house Rabobank has published a report on agriculture and horticulture in the two newest EU accession countries.

The study found that horticulture resources in both Romania and Bulgaria will have a marked impact on Europe and beyond and offer significant potential for inputs such as agri-chemicals and packaging manufacturers.

The bank’s study on two countries indicates that production growth is likely in fruit and vegetables in both countries. Domestic economic development will be the main driver behind the growth and will mean a move towards more technically proficient systems and away from less formal back-yard style production methods. “Improvements in quality and efficiency will require investments in areas such as better quality input, infrastructure and management systems throughout the entire supply chain,” the report stated. “This development presents opportunities for suppliers of inputs.”