Due to an extended period of drought and high temperatures, sunflower and corn yields in Bulgaria are expected to be half of what is typical this year. In the Yambol region, sunflower harvesting began nearly a month earlier than usual, with yields plummeting to between 50-60 kg per hectare, and only a few farmers managing to achieve up to 100 kg per hectare.

Stoyan Alexandrov, chairman of the National Association of Grain Producers for the Yambol region, explained that the intense summer heat, with temperatures reaching around 40 degrees Celsius, severely affected both the pollination and development of sunflower crops. This resulted in most sunflower pods being only 10-15 cm in diameter and significantly diminished quality due to the hot winds and high temperatures.

The situation mirrors the conditions across South and South-Eastern Bulgaria, including Plovdiv, Haskovo, and Stara Zagora. Similarly, in Dobrudzha, the harvest of sunflower and corn is expected to start earlier this year. Nedyalko Statev, who farms 8,000 decares in Pop Grigorovo, noted that the last significant rainfall occurred at the end of June, with current high temperatures exacerbating the drought conditions. Statev predicts that yields will be about half of the normal, estimating 300 kg for corn and around 150 kg for sunflower, compared to average yields of 700-750 kg for corn and 280-300 kg for sunflower under normal conditions.

Associate Professor Galin Georgiev from the Dobrudzhan Agricultural Institute highlighted that while there have always been hot spells, the current extended periods of temperatures above 34-35 degrees Celsius combined with minimal precipitation are having a severe impact on crops, particularly on corn.

Farmers are urging the Ministry of Agriculture to take urgent action to support irrigation efforts to safeguard food security. Alexandrov suggested that the "Irrigation Systems" should be managed by the Ministry of Agriculture rather than as a commercial entity, advocating for state support to improve water usage, as current irrigation infrastructure sends water to Greece and Turkey.

In contrast, the wheat harvest this year has been more favorable, with yields surpassing those of last year. The average yield for wheat stands at 570 kg per hectare, an improvement over the 547 kg per hectare recorded last year. This has led to a slight increase in wheat production to approximately 6.4 million tons, which is a 3.4% rise from the previous year.

However, this increase in wheat yields is unlikely to counterbalance the rising costs faced by grain producers. Despite the better yields, buying prices for wheat have continued to decline, with the summer buying campaign starting at 360 leva per ton—12% lower than the average annual price. Currently, wheat is being purchased at around 320 leva per ton.