Oilseeds harvest prospects improved in Bulgaria

The analysts of the Foreign Agricultural Service of the USDA (FAS USDA) raised the estimate of the gross harvest of oilseeds in Bulgaria in the season-2023/24 to 2.48 mln tonnes amid the improvement of the yield prospects of rapeseed and sunflower.

According to the experts, the weather conditions for the development of these crops in the country remain generally favorable. Thus, the sunflower yield in the new crop season may reach 24 centners per hectare, and the gross harvest will rise to 2.2 mln tonnes (+5% compared to 2022/23 MY).

“Despite the decline in sunflower prices since March, most farmers prefer to plant it as a safer crop due to possible summer droughts, as well as lower production costs compared to, for example, corn,” the USDA FAS report says.

As for rapeseed, the average yield of this oilseed in Bulgaria in 2023/24 MY is forecasted at 28 centners/ha, but due to the smaller planted area, the production is expected to decrease to 275 thsd tonnes (-8% compared to 2022/23 MY).

Tags: crop forecast, Bulgaria, sunseed, rapeseed