Bulgarian sunflower gets “heat attack”

AUGUST weather conditions generally had a limited impact on European oilseed production. According to the European Commission’s August crop monitoring report, the overall sunflower production numbers were revised upwards due to better than expected conditions in Spain and France – more moisture due to heavy rains. The rains offset a deterioration in sunflower conditions in Bulgaria.

Unfriendly Weather in Bulgaria:

• unfavorable conditions for vegetation led to a decrease in the sunflower yield forecast;
• heat waves, thermal anomaly, large number of hot days in August;
• lack of rainfall, especially in the central and eastern parts of Bulgaria;
• the rains that arrived after 15-17 August did not compensate for the moisture deficit.

Reduced 2023 sunflower production forecast:

• sunflower area – (-4% compared to 2022, the limiting factor for area expansion was the drop in prices under the pressure of large sunflower stocks due to high imports from Ukraine);
• yield – (+2% y/y);
• harvest – (-3%).

Rapeseed production remains unchanged, forecast August 2023

• winter rapeseed area – (-24% by 2022, under-sowing due to risks associated with low moisture content last fall);
• yield – (+9%);
• production – (-22%).