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Wheat: Remaining stocks melt by the week

April 4, 2018 at 10:58 AM , Starry Night Ltd.
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SOFIA. An increase in planted acreages for the upcoming harvest. This year’s exports could well top those of last year – the highest in recent years.

BULGARIA. Throughout the country, the highest share of agrarian cultivation is reserved for wheat. Depending on soil conditions and altitudes, different regions contribute different shares to the aggregate output on an annual basis. The leading regions are the Northeast – the so called Granary of Bulgaria, Northwest, central North and Southeast while substantially lower quantities are collected from the central South and Southwest regions.

Wheat: strong demand encouraged farmers to plant more

During the last few years, exports have been persistently strong and on the rise. By the end of marketing season 2016-17, the country registered the highest export rate for the last several years, reaching to 4,168,623 mt. As a result, local market sentiments, earlier in the year, expected farmers to allocate similar, if not more, land for wheat for the next season. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, by the 22nd of March 2018, planted acreages with wheat for the upcoming harvest accounted to 1,123,861 ha, which on a year-to-year basis stands by 2.7% higher. The Winter was not harsh to collect its toll, but much moisture has been recently accumulated in fields throughout the country. The availability of more than ample supply of water reserves in fields is what still worries farmers.

       Harvest 2017-18

(01.07.2017 - 30.03.2018)

            units in MT

Beginning availability

179,000

Aggregate output

5,900,000

Imports

56,552

Domestic consumption

1,344,600

   food

741,000

   feed

378,000

   seeds

200,000

   industrial usage

25,600

Exports to the world

3,894,415

   to EU markets

3,344,314

   to rest of the world

550,101

Source: Bulgarian Ministry of Agriculture

Unfaltering foreign demand pushes the export rate high

Closing March 2018, the share of total exports to aggregate output from harvest 2017-18 accounted to 66.01%; as by the end of the current market season, the rate is expected to grow to a share of about 72-74%. It is shipped quantities to EU markets so far in the year that have heavily pushed up the rate of total exports. Up-to-date exports to the Union have reached 3,344,314 mt; those of last year by this time amounted to 2,328,661 mt. Remaining stocks are quickly being depleted.

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