Bulgaria expects the oil refining industry to recover this year

Over the last few years, there has been a gradual renewal of the oilseed processing industry in Bulgaria. But in MY 2024/25, the oilseed crop performance was the lowest in the last ten years due to extremely hot and dry summer conditions.

The total harvest of oilseeds, including sunflower, rapeseed and soybean, is estimated at 1.6 million tons, 2 million tons less than a year earlier. Rapeseed production was 175,000 tons, 15% less than last season. Sunflower harvest was down 15% to 1.5 million tons despite a higher planted area. Bulgaria has about 4 million tons of processing capacity, the reduced gross harvest has led to difficulties in the country’s processing industry.

At the same time, Bulgarian agro-analysts expect a sharp increase in rapeseed production in the new season to 330,000 tons. This is due to an increase in area from 74 thousand to 110 thousand hectares and an increase in yields from 2.4 to 3 tons per hectare.

As for sunflower, its production is projected to grow by 0.4 million tons – from 1.5 million tons in 2024 to 1.9 million tons in the current season. The growth is due to a slight increase in area to 950,000 hectares and a recovery in yields to 2 tons/ha compared to 1.6 tons/ha in 2024.

For Bulgarian processors, apart from their own oilseed crop and reduced exports of raw materials, part of the closure of needs in the current season was due to imports, which in the last 4-5 years have reached a new level, both for sunflower and rapeseed, Bulgarian agricultural agencies report.

Forecasts for MY 2025/26 show a 44% increase in import figures for sunflower over last year and 46% for rapeseed. The key suppliers of sunflower to Bulgaria are Romania and Moldova, rapeseed – Canada (in October 2024 a large consignment was purchased for the first time).

Tags: Bulgaria, sunseed, rapeseed