Sunflower oil production in Bulgaria is falling

Sunflower oil production in Bulgaria has been falling lately, mainly due to a shortage of raw materials, the Bulgarian newspaper Bourgas notes, citing the chairman of the Association of Vegetable Oil Producers of the country, Yani Yanev.

“Currently, prices on foreign markets are low, and there is no growth on the domestic market either, despite the rise in prices for all products. Our processors are closing due to a shortage of raw materials. The available raw materials are offered at very high prices,” Yanev explained.

Due to hot and dry summer conditions, the country has faced the lowest sunflower harvest in a decade. The total oilseed harvest is estimated at 1.6 million tons, which is 2 million tons less than the previous year. The sunseed harvest fell by 15% to 1.5 million tons, despite a higher sown area.

The local processing industry is facing problems due to rising raw material prices and low prices for processed products. It is likely that the processing capacity will remain underutilized for the third year in a row.

“When we are unable to produce oil at competitive prices, it will come from abroad,” the expert concluded.

Tags: sunflower oil, Bulgaria