Tens of thousands of tons of Bulgarian fruits and vegetables remained in the fields during the 2026 season. Some of the produce was thrown away, and others were not harvested because the purchase prices did not cover the costs of picking, transport and production.
We are talking about peaches, plums, watermelons, melons, cucumbers and grapes. There is no accurate national report on the destroyed or unsold produce. The data for tens of thousands of tons is an estimate by representatives of the sector, not an official summary of a state institution.
Thousands of tons of peaches remained in the gardens
The most serious signals came from the Sliven region. The chairman of the association "Bulgarian Peach" Kosta Petrov told bTV that about 2000-3000 tons of industrial and dessert peaches remained in the gardens. About 10,000 acres of the crop are grown in the region.
According to bTV, resellers have offered between 40 and 50 euro cents per kilogram, which according to the producers does not cover the costs incurred. For plums, the initial offers from processing companies were 20-22 euro cents per kilogram, and subsequently reached 28-30 euro cents.
“Maybe 2,000 to 3,000 tons of peaches remained in the gardens this year“, said Kosta Petrov.Later, farmers and fruit growers gathered in the village of Elenovo in Nova Zagora to demand access to markets and measures for the sector. Producer Dimitar Andonov indicated that half of the fruit in his gardens had fallen to the ground, as there was nowhere to sell them.
Watermelons and melons left unpicked
The situation is similar with watermelons and melons. In the Lyubimets region, at least 150 tons of watermelons are left on the vine after producer prices dropped to around 8-12 euro cents per kilogram. At these prices, harvesting the crop leads to new losses.
In Dobrudzha, producers from the village of Balgarevo have also left part of their harvest in the field. NOVA linked the problem to favorable weather conditions that led to overproduction, as well as competition from imports. Producer Petar Georgiev, who cultivates around 200 decares, said that his costs have increased about three times, while subsidies have not increased accordingly.
„Sales are difficult. "It's just that there is a very large production, overproduction," Petar Georgiev told NOVA.Official data show a large harvest
The operational analysis of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food as of October 8 reports a significant increase in the quantities produced for some of the perennial crops. The harvested peaches are 19,626 tons, plums - 55,150 tons, and wine grapes - 107,756 tons.
The document also reports 87,940 tons of watermelons, 31,081 tons of melons and 15,449 tons of cucumbers in the open air. The ministry specifies that the operational data serves as a guide to the current state of the market and is not of a statistical nature.
In the Septemvri region, grape producers have warned that dozens of tons may remain in the vineyards. According to local winegrowers, the purchase price of 30-35 euro cents per kilogram does not justify the costs of workers, preparations, fuel and processing.
The state promised logistics centers
Agricultural Minister Plamen Abrovski stated that the state will assist in the creation of logistics centers in the regions that would connect local producers with retail chains.
„We need to make it so that you can supply and they can buy from you locally“, Abrovski told bTV.The producers insist that the aid be directed in time, before the harvest is left on the ground. After the end of the season, some of the losses can be compensated financially, but the production can no longer be returned to the market.
Sources: btvnovinite.bg, nova.bg