site.btaCold Weather Ruins Almost Entire Cherry Crop in Bulgaria's Biggest Cherry Growing Region

Cold Weather Ruins Almost Entire Cherry Crop in Bulgaria's Biggest Cherry Growing Region

Kyustendil, Southwestern Bulgaria, May 9 (BTA) - Low temperatures in late April and early May have ruined over 80 per cent of the cherry crop in the southwestern Kyustendil Region, which is the top Bulgarian producer of cherries. Local growers say that consumers should expect a very limited supply from this part of Bulgaria. Their estimates put losses at 3 to 5 million leva.

Bulgaria produces about 37,000 tonnes of cherries annually. In a good year, the registered output in Kyustendil Region is some 6,000 t but the real figure is more like 7,000 t, producers told BTA. Now they expect half this amount but they fear further losses of crop due to unfavourable weather conditions.

Dr Dimiter Sotirov of the local Farming Institute calls the weather "a disaster". "We had front twice in a week, in the first case with temperature of minus 1.6C and the second of minus 6C, which caused much damage to the cherry crop," he explains.

He says it is overly optimistic to expect that 20 per cent of the crop will survive. The frost has destroyed between 80 and 100 per cent of the cherry fruit, depending on the variety, and the growers have nothing to do to save it.

Their only chance is if weather warms up. If the rain persists in the coming days, what fruit is left on the trees will come off and be ruined, Dr Sotirov says.

Valeri Yovov, a local producer, understands that the ruined crop will drive cherry prices through the roof. He expects prices to start at 1.50 leva/kg and reach 3 leva/kg when purchased at the orchards. "The worst thing is that we will lose the traditional markets," he says.

This year comes in a succession of three bad years for cherry growers in Bulgaria.

Now they don't even hope for compensations because compensations are paid only when the crop is a total loss. "Coming at 220 leva/ha, the amount of compensations is so ridiculous that it makes no economic sense to go through the trouble of filing a claim with the local agricultural service and waste all this time," says Yovov.

Insurance pays up to 5,000 leva/ha for total loss but even this is way below the investment growers make.

What is worse, most growers don't have insurance and can only rely on the usual state subsidies they get with normal crop.

Cherry orchards in Kyustendil Region total 500 ha.

The local Farming Institute say that the picture is not much better for cherry growers elsewhere in Bulgaria.