site.btaAdverse Weather Leads to Low Wheat Yield in Dobrich Region, Says Dobrudzha Agricultural Institute

The wheat yield for the Dobrich Region will average 5.2-5.4 tonnes per hectare - provided there is no rain before the harvest and temperatures are high, Prof. Ivan Kiryakov, Head of Cereals and Grain Leguminous crops Department at the Dobrudzha Agricultural Institute, said here on Wednesday.

Kiryakov said the climate of the last 12 months has been "difficult" and "extremely interesting from a scientific point of view". "I don't remember such a year. A dry October led to late sowing and late germination. At the end of November, there was little rain and almost no snow cover through the winter. January saw 10 litres per square metre of rain, and then February was dry. In March we had temperatures of up to 27 C and heavy rain at the end of the month. It is good that it started raining in April as well", he commented. 

"In Dobrich Region the crops did not germinate, so compared to the previous two years the crops are a little rarer because they couldn't harvest properly," Kiryakov summed up. He said that the high temperatures and drought in the early spring had led to a peak between April 10 and April 20, which is very early. "Fortunately, good rains have fallen since then and currently the condition of the crops is very good," added the professor. He predicted that the harvest will start around June 25-27. "Everything depends on the temperatures, and it is crucial to have no rain during the harvest," concluded Kiryakov.

Dobrich Region is located in Southern Dobrudzha, known as the "Bulgaria's Granary". The region boasts the country's highest percentage of cultivated land. Plant-growing and stock-breeding are the most important sectors of the regional economy.