Bulgaria became a net importer of rapeseed in the 2023/24 marketing year with growing trade driven by expanding domestic crushing capacities, according to a US Department of Agriculture (USDA) report.
Rapeseed imports reached 182,000 tonnes, a 90% increase over the previous year’s total of 96,000 tonnes, the USDA’s 25 June Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) Bulgaria: Oilseeds and Products Market Update report noted, with most of the imports coming from Ukraine and Moldova.
“Improved domestic demand was recorded by authorities with crush reaching 197,000 tonnes in 2023/24, 134% higher than in the corresponding period in 2022/23,” the FAS said.
“As a result, trade in processed products has accelerated. Exports of rapeseed oil in the first three quarters of 2023/24 reached 20,000 tonnes, a growth of 82% compared to the same period in 2022/23.”
Exports of rapeseed meal surged by 430% from 19,000 tonnes in 2022/23 to 103,000 tonnes, the FAS said.
The main export markets for rapeseed oil were in the European Union (EU) – Spain and the Netherlands – while Israel and Morocco were the main destinations for rapeseed meal.
The FAS forecast a 4% drop in Bulgaria’s rapeseed production in 2024/25 to about 200,000 tonnes due to a combination of reduced harvested area and unfavourable weather.
Sunflowerseed production declined by 16% in 2023/24 to 1.78M tonnes.
However, despite the drought-impacted crop and limited imports, Bulgaria increased its sunflowerseed crushing by reducing sunflowerseed exports, the report said.
“This allowed Bulgaria to keep its position as the top European Union exporter of sunflower oil, mainly to South Africa and Egypt, and second-leading exporter of sunflower meal, mainly to China,” it said.
