Common sunflower

An increase in sunflower oil prices in Bulgaria is anticipated, but it is not expected to be significant. According to Vladimir Ivanov, chairman of the State Commission for Commodity Exchanges and Markets, any price rise will likely be between 5% and 10%. This expectation comes in light of a weak domestic harvest, which typically influences prices.

Bulgaria's sunflower crop is facing significant challenges this year, leading to potential spikes in sunflower oil prices due to a combination of weak harvests and difficulties in imports.

Due to an extended period of drought and high temperatures, sunflower and corn yields in Bulgaria are expected to be half of what is typical this year. In the Yambol region, sunflower harvesting began nearly a month earlier than usual, with yields plummeting to between 50-60 kg per hectare, and only a few farmers managing to achieve up to 100 kg per hectare.

A 48-year-old man was arrested on Sunday for producing fake olive oil with various substances.

Police have said that a report was made against the man, which was followed by an investigation of the West Attica basement in which the olive oil adulteration took place, and his subsequent arrest.

Amid grave scale of yield loss in sunflower farming due to the excessive drought, the trials of domestically produced seeds in the northwestern region of Thrace have yielded remarkably positive results thanks to their impressive resilience to drought.

Bulgaria will propose to extend the ban on the import of Ukrainian sunflower, unrefined oil and dry milk to the country until the New Year. This became clear after a meeting of Agriculture Minister Kiril Vatev with sunflower producers and processors in the country.

Thrace's sunflower production, which supplies a sizeable share of the nation's oil needs, has become inefficient as a result of the extreme heat, an expert has said.

It was reported that sunflowers in Thrace are under stress due to the sweltering temperatures in the region, meaning that the crops' development and productivity are adversely affected.