Bulgarian Drought Worsens

Drought in Bulgaria could see wheat production this year fall by more than 30% to 3 MMT, from 4.4 MMT in 2008, according to media reports.

Chairman of the National Association of Grain Producers (NAGP) Radoslav Hristov said his members would hold an extraordinary sitting this week to discuss the condition of autumn and spring crops. NAGP will produce a report which would be sent to the Ministry of Agriculture and Foods, he said.

The country has seen virtually no rainfall of note during May, he added.

"In my opinion the drought problem is now even more serious than in 2007 because then the affected areas were few but now their number is bigger. Condition of spring crops is three times as bad compared with 2007," Hristov explained.

Earlier this week the Bulgarian news agency Novinite described this season's potential wheat yields as "tragic".

Hungary meanwhile has not had any significant rainfall since March, and Romania is on the verge of declaring a "calamity state" with almost a quarter of winter plantings destroyed or damaged by drought.