The first of six ships carrying sunflower seeds from Argentina has now arrived in Bulgaria, delivering hundreds of thousands of tonnes of produce expected to influence both market prices and domestic production.
Iliya Prodanov, chair of the National Association of Grain Producers, said strict oversight over the product was essential.
“As soon as the vessel arrived, we notified the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency. A sample was taken from the ship the same day and is likely to be analysed today. For the next shipments, representatives of the association will be allowed to attend the sampling process so that, as producers and consumers, we can be confident the product meets the required standards,” Prodanov explained.
He outlined the main concerns of Bulgarian producers:
“There are three key areas where adequate control is required — residual pesticides, heavy metals, and testing for genetically modified products. In South America, more than 90 per cent of the harvest is genetically modified, which is prohibited for import into Europe.”
The business implications are also significant, as Bulgaria’s processing industry has greater capacity than the country’s domestic output.
“As soon as news emerged that these ships were heading from Argentina to Bulgaria, the domestic sunflower price fell by 10 per cent. This shows the impact on Bulgarian production is already visible — and not only in Bulgaria. Colleagues in Romania are reporting the same, because while six ships are bound for Bulgaria, there are twelve in total across the Black Sea basin. Cargo is also being unloaded in Romania and Moldova. In total, around 500,000 tonnes are expected to leave Argentina this month,” he added.
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