Bulgaria to test all Ukrainian sunseed imports for pesticide residues

Bulgaria will introduce testing of all sunflower seed shipments imported from Ukraine for pesticide residues, Bulgarian Agriculture and Food Minister Plamen Abrovski said.

The decision comes as Bulgaria is becoming an increasingly important destination for Ukraine’s new-crop sunflower seed exports. Some volumes have already been contracted for September, while cargoes for October delivery are also being offered on the market.

According to market participants, several Ukrainian sunflower seed cargoes shipped in February-March underwent laboratory testing that allegedly detected deltamethrin residues at levels up to four times above the EU maximum residue limit.

The tighter controls come amid disruptions at Ukraine’s deep-sea ports, which continue to constrain sunflower oil exports and domestic crushing. Due to maritime logistics problems, the forecast for Ukraine’s sunflower seed crushing in the 2026/27 season has been lowered to 12.05 mln tons.

Bulgaria’s new requirements could increase laboratory testing costs for Ukrainian exporters, slow cargo clearance and raise the risk that individual shipments may be rejected. This creates additional uncertainty for Ukrainian sunflower seed exports at the start of the new season.

Tags: Ukraine, Bulgaria, export, sunseed, imports, restrictions