BULGARIA IS AGAIN THE WORLD’S BIGGEST PRODUCER OF LAVENDER OIL

Bulgaria remains world’s biggest producer of lavender. However different parts of the country produce different yield Farmers in Northern Bulgaria enjoy good yield, whilst in South Bulgaria, where lavender is usually grown, farmers are worried there is a drop in the yield this year.

The yield is 50% less in comparison with last year’s, says Nikolai Ralchev, a farmer who has 400 decares of lavender fields. Lavender in Panagyurishte area is harvested by hand because it is grown in mountainous regions and it is difficult for machines to get there. The average yield is 200 kg petals per decare, he added.

The soil in Dobrudzha, Northern Bulgaria, is fertile and the yield is very good, but the producers from Panagyurishte compensate for the lower yield with the higher quality of lavender essential oil, farmers explain.

Certified organic lavender oil may reach a price of 90 euros per kg. Worldwide, 400 tonnes of lavender oil is produced and traded, 170 tonnes of which is produced in Bulgaria. The other large global producers are France, Turkey and Moldova.

This year’s lavender harvest in Bulgaria is completed. Some essential oil processing distilleries near the town of Panagyurishte, central Bulgaria, are still working because lavender plants bloom later in mountain climate conditions and are harvested at different time.