In Bulgaria, raw milk rose in price by 33% in 2022 and remained among the cheapest in the EU

In 2022, the purchase prices of raw milk in the country rose by an average of 33%, as a result of rising prices globally and increased subsistence costs of animal husbandry. However, the purchase price for cow's milk in Bulgaria is among the lowest in the EU, and at the moment the purchase prices are lower only in France, Slovakia and the Baltic States, writes the Center for Economic Research in Agriculture (SARA) in its January newsletter ). The prices of feed alone, according to NSI data, are expected to be over 30% for the year, which shows that a reduction in the purchase prices of cow's milk below BGN 1/kg is unlikely in this situation, although seasonally in the spring and summer there will be pressure to lower prices. According to preliminary data of the NSI, the nominal gross production of milk in 2022 will increase by about 20% to BGN 877 million. This represents about 36% of the value of livestock production. Milk's share of total agricultural output remains around 7%, ...