Bulgarian breweries have started making a mark on the international scene with beer exports rising in Romania, Macedonia, Spain, Portugal, the US and Hungary, Vladimir Ivanov, president of the Union of Brewers in Bulgaria (UBB), told Bulgarian National Radio.

To back his statement UBB's data showed that beer production and exports have increased significantly in the past 12 months, ending this July. A total of 5.399 million hectolitres of beer were sold, compared to the 5.352 million in the previous 12 month period.

Ledenika & MM Brewery is responsible for its significant contribution to the increase of beer sales. The brewery has a domestic market share of about 10 per cent. Its market share also had an impact on exports, with figures overall reaching 78 358 hectolitres in 12 months, compared to the identical time period last year with 69 173 hectolitres exported.

Zagorka, Bulgaria's best selling beer and a brand with the largest portfolio topped the chart with 1.716 million hectolitres, while Kamenitza ranked second with 1.571 million hectolitres, followed by Danish Carlsberg with 1.468 million hectolitres.

A large part of the increased export of Bulgarian beer can be attributed to its quality standard and an established consumer base in the countries where the beer is being sold, as well as effective marketing and distribution systems.

Part of the strategy for the future is to tackle the Greek market where Bulgarian beer is largely unknown. Unlike Bulgaria, which has more than 65 different kinds of beer, Greece's market is mainly dominated by three brands: Heineken, Amstel and Mythos. With a beer portfolio that is far inferior to Bulgaria's, the idea is that a properly marketed campaign, and sound tactical and distribution planning could make a big impact on the Greek market, especially since Greece harbours a large Bulgarian ex pat community.

Bulgarians consume a little more than 70 litres of beer per capita annually, which places them behind France, Spain and Portugal in the European standings.

Speculation as to why traditional wine-drinking countries like Spain and Portugal rank above Bulgaria is probably due to the high consumption there by expat communities of Britain and Germany.

For the moment, Romania remains Bulgaria's highest beer importer and with Europe's most famous breweries also exporting to our northern neighbour, the fact that Romanians opt for Bulgarian beer instead stands testament to the high quality of the product. Vladimir Ivanov, president of the Bulgarian beer brewers' union, has stated that, in the future, Bulgarian breweries will expand onto the Greek and Cypriot markets.

On July 1 2008, the UBB joined the Brewers of the European Union, becoming the 26th country in the exclusive members' club.

The popular brand of Zagorka and its by-products enjoy the highest share of Bulgarian beer exports, Ivanov added.