Bulgaria Newsflash Week 27
Despite the rains the grain harvest to be good; good year for the lavender producers; battling climate changes with forests; a large-scale study on thyme varieties: enjoy our new Bulgaria Agri Nerwsflash!
Grain harvest expected to be good, but rains still problem
The harvest of wheat and barley will be delayed for July, an average of 10-12 days late for each of the crops, due to the cooler weather and significant rain, Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) reports. It is still early to say what the yield will be and it is unclear how the situation with the purchase prices will evolve, industry representatives commented. The harvest is expected to be about 300-350 kg per decare for wheat and about 400 kg per decare for barley. Disappointment among farmers from last year's rapeseed harvest has led to a smaller area of this crop, and the yield is expected to be just over 200 kg per decare. “We hope that prices will compensate for the drought. Last year, wheat was sold for about BGN 300-310 per tonne, now farmers have sold it in advance for BGN 400 per tonne”, says Iliya Prodanov, chairman of the Markeli Union of Grain Producers in Karnobat, south-east Bulgaria.
Growers of lavender expect a good harvest this year
The latest data show that nearly 20,000 hectares of land in Bulgaria are cropped with lavender, mostly in Dobrudja. Lavender plantations are most numerous in Dobrich, Yambol and Stara Zagora. Growers expect a good harvest this year. Deputy Agriculture Minister Georgi Subev said the production and processing of lavender has a potential for much broader development. “One of the challenges for a successful external market is ensuring large amounts of consistent quality, and that regional association of producers might help achieve that,” Subev commented. Bulgarian lavender oil is entirely export oriented. For several years now Bulgaria has been a global leader in the production of lavender oil. There is, however, a niche on the domestic market as well.
Large-scale study looks at thyme varieties in Bulgaria
A team of researchers from two institutes of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences: the Institute of Bio-Diversity and Eco-System Studies and the Institute of Organic Chemistry with a Phyto-chemistry Centre, and the Forestry University in Sofia, are working on a large-scale interdisciplinary research on the thyme varieties in Bulgaria, Bulgarian News Agency reports. The Bulgarian flora is known to have 21 thyme varieties, placing the country third in Europe in this department. First is Spain and Greece is second, and Bulgaria has as much as Russia with its huge territory. Bulgaria has more thyme varieties than France, Italy and Germany despite their much larger territory.
Extensive afforestation in NE Bulgaria to Combat Climate Change
A large-scale recovery of forests and shelter belts is beginning in Northeastern Bulgaria and is scheduled to last until 2024 after creating 200 ha of new forests and shelter belts, says Balgarski Fermer weekly. Due to global warming, some of the tree varieties that grow in this part of Bulgaria are expected to be replaced until 2100 by new tree varieties which are easy to adapt to warmer and drier weather. This transpired in a climate and bio-climatic analysis prepared under the Forests of Northeaster Bulgaria Project which is being implemented by the Northeastern Forestry Company under the LIFE Programme. The aim is to replace areas with invasive tree varieties in poor condition, with broad-leaf trees which are typical for the area but a more resistant to climate change.