Browse Data and Analysis

FAS/Sofia estimates a reduction in Bulgarian oilseeds crops in marketing year (MY) 2024/25 due to extremely hot and dry weather conditions in July and August. FAS/Sofia estimates the rapeseed crop at 190,000 metric tons (MT), down nine percent from last year and 36 percent from two years ago.

Ukraine introduced procedures for the approval of minimum export prices for selected bulk commodities, including grains, oilseeds, vegetable oils and meals, walnuts, and honey.

Turkish cotton production in Marketing Year 2024/25 is projected to increase to 870,000 metric tons due to better weather and improved yields, in addition to forecast increases in area. Consumption is forecast to remain stagnant at 1.55 million metric tons.

On August 7-9, 2024, the World Apple and Pear Association (WAPA) presented the 2024 EU apple and pear crop forecast at the 49th edition of the Prognosfruit convention. WAPA forecasts the 2024 EU fresh apple crop at 10.2 million metric tons (MT), 11.2 percent below the 2023 harvest.

Chicken meat production for 2025 is forecast to hit a record after a below average performance the previous year. Most of the anticipated increase in production will go for domestic consumption, which continues to grow since chicken is expected to remain significantly cheaper than beef.

In MY 2024/25, EU production of stone fruits (peaches and nectarines, and cherries) is estimated to exceed last season's levels. Favorable conditions across many growing Member States support a production recovery, which is projected to allow for both larger exports and domestic consumption.

Over the last decade, with investments in domestic port infrastructure and storage and owing to Turkiye’s deeper integration in regional and global trade networks, the country has become a major hub for transshipped agricultural products, such as oilseeds, grain, pulses, tree nuts, and juice.

Turkiye’s cherry production for marketing year (MY) 2024/25 is forecast down from last year’s record, but is still the third largest on the books. Despite the contraction in production, cherry exports are forecast to hit an all-time high as growers prioritize sales abroad since it’s more profitable then selling on the local market.

This year’s apple harvest is expected to be 197,000 MT, slightly lower than last year’s numbers and the lowest in a decade. Pear production is set to drop by around nine percent, with a total of 327,000 MT. The decrease in pear harvest is mostly due to tough growing conditions throughout the season, leading to fewer fruits per tree. When it comes to the land being harvested, apple acreage is shrinking further, down to about 5,220 hectares.

On August 21, 2024, the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) of the People's Republic of China (PRC) announced that it had initiated an anti-subsidy (i.e., countervailing duty or CVD) investigation on imports of certain dairy products originating from the European Union.

FAS/Sofia has revised downward its estimate for Bulgaria’s MY 2024/25 corn crop to 2.2 million metric tons (MMT), which if realized would be the smallest crop in over a decade. This is due to severe summer heat and drought in July and in early August.

After a 2023 outbreak, and the authorization of three types of vaccines, a new Bluetongue disease outbreak occurred again in the Netherlands in the summer of 2024. The disease is also spreading to neighboring countries Belgium and Germany.