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Bulgaria is harvesting a strong sunflower crop this year, with record yields reported in some regions, including Dobrudzha and the Polski Trambesh area. However, those gains are being eroded by rising production costs.
Sunflower seed purchase prices have stayed close to last year's levels, while farmers face significantly higher spending on fertiliser, fuel, services and labour. Industry participants estimate that prices of €500–550 per tonne would be needed to restore farm profitability at current yield levels.
At retail level, sunflower oil has become more expensive, reaching €1.76 per litre, according to Bulgaria's State Commission on Commodity Exchanges and Markets, an increase of €0.10 from a year earlier.
A key concern for producers is the country's trade pattern: Bulgarian sunflower seed is being exported, while domestic processing plants then source raw material from abroad. According to industry representatives, in early 2026 Bulgaria was importing Argentine sunflower seed and exporting its own seed at the same time, in roughly comparable volumes.
The contradiction has sparked debate over how effectively the country's domestic crushing capacity is being used and whether current trade arrangements make economic sense.
Source: Novinite