Rose picking in Bulgaria’s Karlovo may stop due to low sale prices

Rose picking in Bulgaria’s Karlovo has started, but there are doubts that due to the low sale price, the season this year may be cut short early. A major problem in the industry this year is the shortage of labour force.

The harvesting of the flowers of the oil-bearing roses started about 10 days later than usual due to weather conditions. The industry representatives pointed out that there is a risk that they will dispose of their production at a price below cost and will suffer losses once again.

"We know that the contracts announced and signed this year are at a price of BGN 2.50 per kg of rose flower. From the talks with the rose processors, we can see that they have no intention of this price being increased" says Zara Klisurova, a rose grower.

"There is no way we can pay costs above BGN 1.50. We have a cost price for this flower by the beginning of the rose picking season and sell it at BGN 2.40. This means working at a loss," added Hristo Nikolov - rose grower and chairman of the Professional Association of Rose Growers.

This year, pickers want to be paid BGN 1.2, in some places BGN 1.3 per kg of flowers picked. Apart from the fact that labour is more expensive, it is also a shortage as workers prefer more lucrative sectors.

According to the industry representatives, the sale price of the rose flower should not be lower than BGN 3 per kg, excluding VAT, so that the rose flowers do not remain unharvested this year. Last year's yield was 8,800 tonnes.

"If the sale stays as iniatlly announced and we have a big peak where we will be forced to increase the payments to workers to harvest it, I expect we will fall below this yield," said Hristo Nikolov.

Nikolov stressed that rose growers are yet to receive financial assistance under the Covid measure, but they see it as compensation to cover losses from last year.

Rose harvesting season in Bulgaria’s Rose Valley began

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