Bulgaria’s Fuel Market Stable, but Gray Sector and Export Ban Raise Concerns
In Bulgaria, fuel prices remain largely unchanged, with the international oil market continuing to respond to tensions between the United States and Iran.
Watermelon Season: Bulgarian Production remains Unharvested, Greek harvest Floods the Market
- Tweet
Send to Kindle
@ilindenpres.bg
Tons of watermelons remained in the field due to lack of markets. Cheap Greek production permanently displaces native production. There is no import control by the state, costs have risen by 30-40% at double lower purchase prices. Such is the balance sheet at the height of summer of Yanko Yanev, one of the major producers in Lyubimets, Bulgaria. He cultivates 110 decares of land planted with Sorrento and Romanza varieties. The owner, who has been in the business for 10 years, said that last year the purchase price of watermelons was 30 cents per kilogram, and now it is 10-15 cents. He calculated that the average cost per acre amounts to BGN 1,000 (EUR 511,65), which means that the purchase price per kilogram should be at least 25 cents, and now it is being sold at a loss.
Despite the complex situation in the sector, Yanev manages to realize about 500-600 tons of his own production on the domestic market, mainly on the exchanges in Plovdiv and Pazardzhik, with an average yield of 5 tons per hectare.
"There are no Lyubimets watermelons in Sofia, there is no domestic production, everything has been from Greece for years. Where are the commercial chains, where is the state," asks the farmer.
“Euro subsidies for fruit and vegetable production in our country are extremely low. At the same time, in neighboring Greece, they receive much more funds from the EU for the development of the sector”, Yanev said.
He emphasized another serious problem, which the state is ignoring. He is one of the few registered agricultural producers in Lyubimets, while at the same time there are many others in the shadow economy who "neither pay taxes nor insurance".
Sweet watermelons and cantaloupes were once a trademark of the fertile lands of Lyubimets and a staple of the local people's livelihood. Today the situation is completely different. Melons are hardly grown, and the watermelon business is becoming increasingly difficult. Yanko Yanev is considering halving the cultivated areas next year.
Follow Novinite.com on Twitter and Facebook
Write to us at editors@novinite.com
Информирайте се на Български - Novinite.bg
/BNR
Related Articles:
Greek Nationalists Criticize Bulgarian Property Purchases in Northern Greece
In Northern Greece, nationalist groups have expressed concern over the growing number of properties being purchased by Bulgarian citizens
Bulgaria: Housing Market Stabilizes as Double-Digit Price Growth Set to End in 2026
Bulgaria is entering a new phase in its housing market, with analysts predicting the end of the “panic” buying that fueled double-digit price increases in 2024 and 2025.
Greek Farmers Retreat: Bulgarian Borders Reopen After Weeks of Blockades
Greek farmers have begun lifting their blockades at the border with Bulgaria, easing the disruption that had affected cross-border traffic for weeks
Politics | January 19, 2026, Monday // 14:30
Drones Strike Greek Oil Tankers in the Black Sea
Two Greek-managed oil tankers were struck by drones on Tuesday near the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) terminal in the Black Sea, which handles roughly 80% of Kazakhstan’s oil exports
World | January 13, 2026, Tuesday // 17:01
Greek Farmers Boycott Talks with PM, Threaten Indefinite Nationwide Blockades
Some Greek farmers have announced that they will not take part in the talks with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis scheduled for today, escalating their protest actions and warning of long-term road blockades across the country.
Bulgaria Loses 15% of Industrial Jobs in Four Years,
Between 2019 and 2023, Bulgaria’s industrial sector has experienced a significant contraction, with roughly 104,557 jobs lost, nearly half of them in the processing industry, amounting to almost 15% of the country’s industrial workforce
EU Farmland Prices Climb in 2024, Bulgaria Records Near-6% Increase
Agricultural land prices across the European Union continued to rise in 2024, with Eurostat data showing a clear upward trend both in sales values and rental costs, although developments varied significantly by country.
Bulgaria to Open New Joint Border Checkpoints with Serbia and Turkey
Bulgaria is preparing to open new border crossings with both Serbia and Turkey as part of efforts to improve regional connectivity, the Cabinet’s press service reported
Bulgaria Tops Europe in Black Caviar Exports
Bulgaria has emerged as Europe’s top exporter of black caviar, according to Assoc. Prof. Violin Raykov from the Institute of Oceanology at the Bulgarian
From Machinery to Food: A Look at Bulgaria’s Most Exported Goods Outside the EU
During the first eleven months of 2025, Bulgaria’s exports to countries outside the European Union reached 27.55 billion leva (€14.1 billion), marking a slight decline of 2.1% compared to the same period in 2024
Bulgaria to Rely on Diaspora, Not Foreign Workers, for Labor Market Growth
Outgoing Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Innovation and Growth Tomislav Donchev addressed the issue of labor imports in parliament, stating that bringing in workers from non-EU countries is only a temporary solution.
