Bulgarian vegetable prices rise by 15% due to extreme heat • EastFruit

In Bulgaria, vegetable prices have increased by almost 15% over the past year. Domestic cucumbers currently cost 4 leva per kilogram, making them the most expensive products.

Rosen Petrakiev, an experienced vegetable grower from Martin, attributes this price increase to the extreme heat, which negatively affects the quantity and quality of produce, thereby reducing supply and increasing prices, reports Novinite.com. Petrakiev points out that the cost increases are a direct result of the harsh weather conditions that reduce crop yields.

Read also: Will EU potato prices break records amid adverse weather and seed problems?

In addition, he mentions that to mitigate these climate impacts, farmers have had to increase their investments in crop protection, which has increased operating costs. Regarding the influence of drought and water prices, Petrakiev explains that irrigation of vegetable crops is mainly done via boreholes or rivers, which suggests that farmers in northern Bulgaria are not significantly affected by water costs.

Kuncho Kunchev, manager of a municipal market in Ruse, notes that the market offers few imported products, consisting mainly of non-locally grown products. He also mentions the growing consumer preference for high-quality food, as Bulgarians are becoming more demanding in their food choices.