Grain producers report a better harvest this year, but the purchase price of wheat remains close to the levels of recent years. At the same time, production costs have increased significantly.
Wheat is purchased for about 160-180 euros per ton, depending on the quality. Last year, prices were between 320 leva per ton for feed wheat and up to 360-370 leva per ton for higher-quality grain.
This was stated to BNT by Lyudmil Rabotov from the Management Board of the Grain Producers Association.
According to him, Bulgaria produces between 5 and 7 million tons of wheat annually, while domestic consumption is about 1.5 million tons. Therefore, a significant part of the production is exported, writes Novini.bg.
However, grain producers are facing a serious increase in costs. According to Rabotov, the prices of fuel, fertilizers and plant protection products have increased by between 30 and 50%.
“Wheat is the least of the problems“, he commented on the possible increase in the price of bread. According to him, the final price depends much more on the costs of transportation, electricity and other components in production.
At this stage, producers expect bread producers to try to limit a possible increase in bread prices.
Grain producers consider the planned state aid of 44 euro cents per liter of gas oil to be insufficient compared to the increase in costs.
The sector insists that the funds be paid as soon as possible, since the autumn sowing is coming.
According to Rabotov, if wheat production cost about 100 euros per decare, now the cost price already reaches approximately 150 euros per decare.