If you live in the city and you think that farm life and natural products can only be seen in computer games like Farm Ville, you are wrong. A Bulgarian platform called AgroRegal has created a kind of national digital farm bazaar, in which each farmer has the opportunity to show their products, while customers could go to a farm and buy the goods they need. The aim of AgroRegal is to connect traveling people with small farmers. Creators of the innovative project that was launched just a few days ago are Milen Markov, who deals with finance and Svetlin Popov, who is responsible for the technical organization. The young men told us about their idea:

"The idea has existed for 3 years. At that time I was about to become a father and my wife wanted to buy fresh fruits and vegetables. Large supermarkets were not a good choice because the origin and quality of goods are doubtful. I did everything possible to find small farmers across the country. It took a lot of efforts, so I decided that in the age of digital technologies it would be a good idea to create such a platform," Milen Markov says.

The AgroRegal website allows farmers to upload photos and descriptions of their products online, to announce prices and to provide contacts. Customers can see all available products and the distance to the various farms on the map and can go directly to the farmer. After making a purchase one could also write a review online. The platform will be free in the next six months. Is it easy, however, to transfer farm bazaars into cyberspace?

"It turned out that now is the right time for digital technologies to enter agriculture and small producers are beginning to understand that they could have better profits if they present their products online. We do not act as intermediaries but provide information. Our major goal is helping both producers and consumers and not taking away from the product’s value," Milen Markov says.

Emil Todorov from the town of Varshets has already started using the AgroRegal platform, selling dried aronia. Here's what he told us:

"In Bulgaria intermediaries between farmers and traders want to collect all the profits, so I chose this portal. It is one of the options for small producers to reach the market and receive the right price for their products."

The site has enjoyed mostly positive reviews, but its creators pay attention to criticism too, as it helps them optimize the platform and make it comfortable for everyone. The creators say the hardest thing is winning people’s trust. A week after its launch, the site has already helped in relations between producers and consumers. But what innovations could be expected from AgroRegal in the future?

“First we are to try reaching to the highest possible number of agricultural producers. There also will be a training process as some of the farmers are elderly people who are yet to get acquainted with the Internet. We will try to explain to them in the most accessible way that the platform will be beneficial to them if they learn how to use it. We will seek more contacts with people who travel often,” Milen Markov says. Svetlin Popov adds:

“We are also to launch a mobile application that is a copy of the site and thus we would reach more people. We will also try to use ideas of users of the platform in order to make it better.”

English: Alexander Markov