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.

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 of transporting grain from inland regions, producers are facing shrinking margins. Prodanov pointed out that expectations among farmers are for the price to reach at least 40 cents per kilogram to cover basic production costs.

The situation with spring crops, however, is significantly more concerning. Prodanov emphasized that the intense heat is once again taking a toll on grain farming. He described the state of corn and sunflower fields as “miserable,” with very little hope for recovery.

According to him, wheat has managed to perform moderately well due to residual moisture from spring rains, which helped offset some of the seasonal drought. But he warned that Bulgaria may be heading toward a repeat of last year’s scenario, marked by a near-total collapse in corn yields and a notably weak sunflower harvest.

Tags: prices, wheat, drought, yields, high temperatures, Bulgaria, harvest, corn, sunflower