Bulgaria’s Grain Sector Under Pressure: Wheat Stable, Spring Crops Suffer

The head of Bulgaria’s National Association of Grain Producers, Iliya Prodanov, has warned that this year's severe drought and high temperatures are set to cause extremely poor yields for sunflower and corn crops. Speaking to BNR, he noted that while the wheat harvest is nearing completion in Northern Bulgaria, and the quality appears promising, spring crops are already showing signs of major stress.

The head of Bulgaria’s National Association of Grain Producers, Iliya Prodanov, has warned that this year’s severe drought and high temperatures are set to cause extremely poor yields for sunflower and corn crops. Speaking to BNR, he noted that while the wheat harvest is nearing completion in Northern Bulgaria, and the quality appears promising, spring crops are already showing signs of major stress. Prodanov explained that the wheat harvest is expected to wrap up by the end of the week, and so far, quality assessments have been positive. According to him, yields will likely be similar to those recorded last year. “The quality is good enough to fully cover our bread wheat needs,” he said, highlighting a silver lining in an otherwise difficult season. Despite the relatively stable wheat performance, producers are grappling with falling purchase prices. At present, wheat is being bought for 350 to 370 leva per ton at the ports of Varna and Burgas. However, when factoring in the cost ...