Bavarian Agriculture and Forestry Minister Josef Miller is visiting Bulgaria with 17 food producers on Monday and Tuesday, BTA reports. The delegation will popularize Bavarian dairy products, especially cheeses, and Miller will open a Bavarian exhibition, the German Embassy said.

The presentation is part of Miller's initiative for a Bavarian export offensive on the new markets. He has launched similar initiatives in Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Romania.

Miller and his Bulgarian Agriculture and Food Supply Minister Nihat Kabil discussed the implementation of joint projects in agriculture, farmer training and rural development. The two also agreed on exchange of experience between the Bulgarian Executive Agency for Animal Breeding and Reproduction and its counterpart Bavarian service for the purpose of exchanging genetic material for sheep-breeding and cattle-breeding. A memorandum on this cooperation is to be signed shortly. The ministers also agreed on cooperation in the drafting of programmes for preservation of indigenous animal breeds and on establishment of contacts between breeding organizations in Bulgaria and and the Simmental Artificial Insemination Centre in Bulgaria. Mr Miller invited experts of the Bulgarian Agriculture and Food Supply Minister to specalize and practise in Bavarian animal husbandry.

Exchange of experience in the design of projects for diversification of economic activity in rural area and promotion of rural tourism under the 2007-2013 Rural Development Programme also figured on the agenda.

The two ministers also talked bout the further development of the legalframework of the dairy market and the future of the EU Common Agricultural Policy. Miller said Bavaria expected Bulgaria to become a major trading partner.

In 2006, Bavaria exported to Bulgaria agricultural products and foods worth over 10 million euro, mostly cheese and meat products. Bulgaria's exports consisted of plant products, vegetables and nuts worth 16.7 million euro.