The Lavender Harvest in Dobruja: Problems and Perspectives

In parallel with wheat harvesting, lavender flower collection is also underway in Dobruja. While just a few years ago the purple fields were widespread and delighted the eye against the golden backdrop of wheat, now the areas with the aromatic herb have "shrunk" five times. This summer, farmers must harvest almost 20,000 decares of lavender, compared to 27,000 decares last year. Just a few seasons ago, the essential oil herb was spread across almost 100,000 decares. And at the dawn of the massive boom in 2016, it was barely 6,900 decares in the entire region. Currently, according to official data, a quarter or nearly 5,000 decares have been harvested, with an average green mass yield of 360 kg/decare. The actual essential oil yield will become clear after the lavender flower goes through the distillery. The yield depends on the planted variety, climatic conditions, applied technology, and harvest period. In dry and hot weather, the oil rises in the inflorescence, while in cool and ...