Bulgaria: Oilseeds and Products Market Update

FAS Sofia updates its forecasts for Bulgarian production of oilseed crops in marketing year (MY)2023/24 to 2.48 million metric tons (MMT), based on improving prospects for average yields of rapeseed and sunflower. An unusually rainy and cooler spring led to favorable growing conditions but hampered timely sunflower planting and caused higher pest and disease pressure. In MY2022/23 Bulgaria preserved its position as the top European Union (EU) importer of price-competitive sunflower seeds from Ukraine, with a 38 percent share in total EU imports and kept increasing its crush. It also became the third largest EU importer of crude sunflower oil for further refining with 14 percent share. Due to accelerated exports of sunflower seeds in the last two months, Bulgaria is currently the second in the EU (45 percent share) in terms of exports of sunflower seeds. It leads with 62 percent of total EU exports of sunflower meal and 43 percent of EU exports of sunflower oil.