Adverse weather conditions could further influence output
July 10, 2017 at 5:47 PM ,
Starry Night Ltd.
This season, harvest was belated because of unexpected rains. Subsequently, harvest time has been extended because of sporadic showers; more rains are forecasted for the North regions at the end of this week. Anyhow, rains during harvest always influence the quality of the crop.
Rapeseed: what have farmers harvested?
SOFIA. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, by the end of June 2017, farmers harvested only 5% of the total available land for harvest, which this season stands at 163,683 ha. This year’s harvest progress lags by 80.7% behind that of last year. The early estimates for a national yield stands at 2.8 mt/ha.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, this year’s output is expected to be around 450,000 mt while output 2016-17 stood at 509,251 mt. The recent hailstorms could cut the forecast even further while more heavy rains are expected in the end of the week in the North regions. In the South, the weather is and will be dry.
Regional competition matters
According to local farmers, so far Ukraine’s harvest also lags behind. Anyhow, according to the USDA report on agricultural production, this year Ukraine expects a rapeseed output of about 2.1 mmt. Such a regional development will inevitably influence prices in the Black sea basin.
Some farmers are already fulfilling existing contracts while others will horde the crop for sale in August, hoping for a higher price. Yet, regional developments at that time of the season will kick in.
Rapeseed, Bulgaria |
|
Crop |
EUR/kg |
Rapeseed |
0.345 |
EXW Bulgaria |