Sunflower oil prices in Bulgaria soar due to poor sunflower seed harvest

sunflower development, affecting both the quality and quantity of sunflower oil production. Farmer Kalin Yovchev, who cultivates sunflowers on 1,000 acres in the Rakovski region, explained that drought and three heatwaves in June, during the flowering period, caused half of his crops to wither. “Everything wilted, dried up, and perished. Instead of photosynthesizing, sunflowers shed leaves, producing small, low-quality seeds,” he said. A hailstorm two weeks ago further damaged crops, reducing expected yields from 350 kg/ha to just 100 kg/ha. Due to low yields, farmers are facing significant losses. Yovchev estimates losses of 100–120 leva per decare at an average price of 0.70 leva per kilogram of sunflower seeds, insufficient to cover costs for fertilizers and crop protection. The anticipated shortage of sunflower seeds is driving up oil prices, already noticeable in retail. In stores like Zhaneta Georgieva’s, 20–30 bottles of sunflower oil are sold daily, with prices rising from ...