This year, Bulgarian potato producers are facing a heavy harvest, but this is unlikely to lead to an increase in the price of the product on the market. The reason is mass imports from abroad at low prices, which affects domestic farmers, reports Nova TV.
“A bad spring, delayed sowing, then great heat - this put production in an extremely unfavorable situation“, explains Todor Dzhikov, chairman of the National Association of Potato Producers.
The lack of rainfall and dried-up water sources for irrigation further worsen the situation. Even with the harvest currently underway, the dry soil and the rains of recent days are making the work difficult.
“The icing on the cake is over 160 liters of rain, which blocks the possibility of working in the fields for about a week“, adds Djikov.
While the Bulgarian harvest is weak, foreign countries are reporting excellent yields, leading to overproduction. Cheap Western potatoes are appearing on the market in our country, which is putting pressure on prices.
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“The cost price of a kilogram of Bulgarian potatoes is over 85 stotinki, and they are offered on the market for about 50 stotinki“, says Dzhikov.
Farmers also warn of unfair practices in which imported potatoes are repackaged and offered as Bulgarian.
“There are people who want Bulgarian potatoes, but some resellers bring in imported ones and present them as Bulgarian“, says Georgi Mehandzhiyski, a potato producer from the village of Shiroki Dol.
Hope for support
Producers hope that the Ministry of Agriculture will continue to develop risk management tools in agriculture, so that they can years of low yields to rely on compensation and support.
“This is important because natural anomalies can affect raw materials and the quality of production“, emphasizes Mehandzhiyski.