Oil-bearing Rose Picking Season Began in Bulgaria’s Kazanlak

Rose picking began in Bulgaria’s region of Kazanlak, also known as the Valley of Roses. Rose farmers expect good harvest, but lower purchase price per kilogramme. Other problem they expect is labour shortage.

The rose-picking campaign first started in the village of Gorno Cherkovishte. Mitko Kralev has a rose farm of 20 decares and has grown oil-bearing roses for 12 years. His concern however is that the low purchase price per kg of rose flowers, set by the rose oil producers this year is very low – 2 BGN (1 Euro) per kg and he will not have a return on the investment.

He explains that farmers have large expenses, not only for picking.

It would be difficult to find rose-picking workers this year, because they are paid 1 BGN per kg of picked rose flowers.

According to experts, 3 tonnes of rose oil is expected to be produced in Bulgaria this year. The fields with oil-bearing roses are nearly 37,000 decares and 13,000 decares of them are in the region of Kazanlak.

3 to 5 tonnes of rose flowers are needed to obtain 1 kg rose oil.