Bulgaria’s wheat harvest exceeds last year’s
Bulgaria’s wheat harvest reached 7.13 M t by late July, up 10.7% y/y, with gains also in barley (+22.8%) and rapeseed (+59.3%). Vegetable output rose for cabbage, potatoes, cucumbers, but many fruits saw steep drops, especially apricots (-95.6%). Most produce prices rose y/y, led by peaches (+60.6%) and apples (+42.6%).
According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food (MZH), the wheat harvest in Bulgaria exceeded last year’s by more than 10%. By the end of July, 97% to 99% of the wheat, rapeseed and barley areas, as well as more than 80% of the rye and triticale areas, had been harvested.
All major winter crops demonstrated a larger harvested area and higher average yield, which led to an increase in the annual harvest volume as follows: wheat – by 10.7%, barley – by 22.8%, rapeseed – by 59.3%, rye – by 31.9% and triticale – by 44.7%, according to the MZH bulletin.
The volume of wheat harvested to date is 7,131,095 tons.
Due to the increase in area, the harvested Burley tobacco harvest is currently 83.4% higher year-on-year. At the same time, the production of Oriental tobacco decreased by 18.3%, and Virginia by 63.6%, mainly due to a reduction in harvesting areas, as well as a decrease in the yield of Oriental tobacco per unit area, according to the MZH bulletin.
As a result of the increase in harvesting areas, by the end of July, higher annual production of cabbage (20.9%), potatoes (33.7%) and cucumbers (74.1%) in open ground was recorded. At this stage, a decrease in the harvest of peppers (6.9%), melons (13%), tomatoes (24.6%) and watermelons (34.3%) is noted due to a decrease in the average yield per hectare and a slowdown in the rate of harvesting of areas (except for peppers). Since the beginning of 2025, greenhouse tomato production has increased by 47.8% year-on-year, while cucumber production has increased by 29.8%. The total harvest of strawberries in open and closed soils amounted to 5,308 tons, the Ministry of Agriculture notes.
This year has been characterized by particularly unfavorable climatic conditions for a significant part of fruit crops. As a result, the production of peaches, cherries, plums and apricots is 60.5% (peaches) and 95.6% (apricots) lower than in the same period of 2024, while the decline in raspberry production is more moderate – 28.1%.
Pear harvesting is at an early stage: 20 tons have been collected against 106 tons a year earlier.
The volume of lavender production today is 22,741 tons, which is 38.2% less year-on-year. The decline is due to both a slower pace of harvesting and lower average yields obtained so far, the bulletin says.
Prices
With the exception of sunflower, the purchase price of which remained at the level of the previous week, as of July 30, average purchase prices for other major grain and oilseed crops decreased – from 0.3% for soft wheat to 1.6% for corn.
By the end of July, average wholesale prices for potatoes, cabbage, peppers (red and green), watermelons and cucumbers in the country’s markets were 1.9% (for potatoes) and 11.3% (for green peppers) lower than in the previous week.
Most of the main fruits and vegetables are selling at higher prices than in the same period last year. The most significant annual increases were recorded in the average wholesale prices of apples (by 42.6%) and peaches (by 60.6%).
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the price increase for tomatoes, potatoes, cabbage and green peppers was lower – from 0.4% (tomatoes) to 14% (green peppers). A price decrease was observed only for red peppers (by 13.4%) and cucumbers (by 43%), while the cost of watermelons remained unchanged.
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Source : Ukr Agro Consult
