Bulgarian farmers concerned over surge of Argentine sunseed imports ahead of MERCOSUR deal

Last week, a vessel loaded with Argentine sunflower seeds arrived at a Bulgarian seaport, alarming local farmers. Shipments from Argentina to the EU have begun even before the MERCOSUR trade agreement takes effect and ahead of the temporary trade arrangement expected to be signed at the end of March, according to Sinor.bg.

Currently, sunflower imports into the EU are subject to a duty of about 10%. However, there is no safeguard quota for sunflower seeds, meaning import volumes are not limited. Farmers say their warehouses are already filled with unsold sunflower stocks totaling around 600,000 tons.

Ilia Prodanov, head of the National Grain Producers Association and the Bulgarian Agrarian Chamber, stated that official data indicate six vessels carrying about 200,000 tons of Argentine sunflower seeds will be unloaded in the country. Bulgarian buyers are expected to pay around 1,100 leva per ton (≈ $660/t), compared with domestic prices of about 980–990 leva per ton (≈ $588–594/t).

“I have one specific question for all politicians, MEPs, economists, and ‘analysts’ regarding MERCOSUR. Where are you today? Where are you to explain how ship after ship loaded with sunflower seeds of questionable quality and at completely non-transparent prices is arriving from Argentina — and supposedly this will not affect our domestic market? Didn’t you assure us there was no risk? That Bulgarian producers had nothing to worry about? That agreements would create ‘opportunities’ rather than destroy entire sectors? Today, the truth is docking in our ports — in tons of imported raw material directly pushing prices down and devaluing the work of Bulgarian farmers,” he said.

According to Agroportal.bg, a vessel carrying 40,000 tons of sunflower seeds (m/v CRATER) is expected to arrive in Bulgaria on March 1 and is currently off the coast of Morocco. In addition, nine more ships are destined for Bulgaria: three already en route, one loading, five scheduled to depart in the second half of the month, and the last in early March. The voyage from Argentina to Bulgaria typically takes about 30 days.

If all shipments materialize, Bulgaria could receive around 400,000 tons of sunflower seeds in the coming months. Separately, three vessels are heading to Romania, one already underway. In total, additional supplies to the EU could reach about 500,000 tons.

Bulgaria’s annual sunflower seeds production is around 1.5 million tons, so a potential 400,000-ton import volume would equal about 26–27% of the national crop and could significantly impact the market.

Traders note that Argentine sunflower seeds are generally cheaper than domestic supplies, making them attractive to Bulgarian companies and processors.

Tags: EU, sunseed, Argentina, Bulgaria