Bulgarian wheat: harvest a few weeks away

May 31, 2017 at 9:07 AM , Starry Night Ltd.
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Exports will soon break the 4,000,000 mt level, further draining remaining stocks. Since the beginning of the year, average purchasing prices EXW Bulgaria have been following an upward trend. Weather conditions are key for a prosperous upcoming harvest.

Wheat: harvest’s time is looming on the horizon

SOFIA. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, going into June, available acreages for harvest stand at 1,096,561 ha, which is about 3.1% less than available plots from the previous season. Even though temperatures during the winter fell down drastically during some weeks, seemingly the heavy snow preserved the crop, and fallen through plots stood at 132 ha.

Yield prospects for the upcoming harvest are encouraging, although overall production is expected to be lower than that of the previous season. Whether expected higher yields could turn the wave in favor of local farmers remains to be seen.

A strong exports’ year left behind

Output from harvest 2016-17 was the highest for the last several years, reaching 5,605,422 mt. As a result of the strong year, good quality crop and competitive prices on the international market, by the fourth week May 2017, exports accounted to 3,986,123 mt. Before the upcoming season starts, exports will break the 4,000,000 mt level, which will be an export record for the last several years. The strong exports further deplete remaining stocks, which according to the Ministry of Agriculture, by the 26.05.2017, stood at 404,116 mt. Only via Varna seaport, by 21.05.2017, exports of wheat reached 1,571,612 mt.

The table below presents a snapshot of harvest 2016-17, as well as, current domestic and foreign trade developments.

Harvest 2016-17

(beginning of harvest till 26.05.2017)

Carry over

420,000 mt

Domestic output

5,605,422 mt

Domestic consumption

1,677,100 mt

Exports to the world

3,986,123 mt

Source: Bulgarian Ministry of Agriculture

Since the beginning of 2017, the average purchasing price of milling wheat has been following an upward trend, moving from about 0.146 EUR/kg EXW to about 0.153 EUR/kg EXW Bulgaria. That of feed wheat usually has been reflecting the price fluctuations of milling wheat.

Wheat, Bulgaria

Type

EUR/kg

milling wheat

0.152

feed wheat

0.145

EXW Bulgaria

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