site.btaFarmers Call for Support over Low Wheat Yields

The Bulgarian Farmers Union (BFU) is calling on the government to provide financial support to agricultural producers due to lower yields of wheat, rapeseed, and certain fruit crops such as cherries, apricots, peaches, and plums, the BFU announced on Thursday.

Mariyan Peev, BFU member, Chairman of the Muglen Agricultural Cooperative and the Bulgarian Association for Innovative Agriculture, farmers have suffered heavy losses following spring frosts, hailstorms, and drought, which have seriously impacted the crops. Additionally, the quality of the harvested produce has been significantly compromised, Peev said.

In some regions of the country, wheat and rapeseed yields are down by 20% to 40%, which represents a severe blow to the farming sector, Peev explained. The Ministry of Agriculture and Food must develop mechanisms to compensate agricultural producers for the poor harvest, he added.

For example, in Southeastern Bulgaria, rapeseed yields are averaging 145 kg per decare, which is a 50% loss compared to the potential yield, Peev said. Wheat yields are currently 400-450 kg per decare, while the normal average is 600-650 kg per decare.

The seeds are small, with low hectoliter weight and insufficient grain mass, which is a sign of stressful crop development caused by frost and sudden heatwaves. In many cases, the grain may not be viable for use in the upcoming autumn sowing season.

At present, the market is not compensating for the production risk. Wheat is trading at around BGN 370 per ton, while barley sells for about BGN 280 per ton. With a wheat yield of 400 kg per decare, farms are operating at a loss, Peev noted. He thinks the realistic price for economically viable production should be at least BGN 400 per ton.

Peev emphasized that the only way to prepare for the next farming season without sinking further into debt is to invest in solutions that genuinely reduce risks and optimize costs.