Rose Producers Protest over Low Purchase Prices of the Rose Flowers

Oil-bearing rose producers staged a protest on 21^st of May, temporarily blocking the traffic between the towns of Strelcha and Koprivshtitsa, South Bulgaria.

Scattered rose flowers on the road symbolized the dissatisfaction of the producers, who the purchase price of the rose flowers is very low.

Rose picking season started 10 days earlier this year and according to the protesting producers, it took a week before they were informed about the purchase price. Most rose-growers pick flowers from 2 decares which means they earn money for 10 cubics of wood for the winter. The protesters say this year they would not manage to earn enough to buy wood for their heating the winter.

In the studio of the BNT breakfast show "The Day begins", Minister of Agriculture Rumen Porozhanov said that the introduction of a minimum purchase price for the rose flowers is an impossible legislative measure, but added that the production of oil rose should be regulated by the quality and relation between producers and distilleries.

As a major problem for rose-growers this year, he outlined the overproduction. According to the rose producers from the village of Dabene, the problem is in the small numbet of distilleries, not in the large yeilds.

Minister Porozhanov said that the expected amount of rose flowers this year is 16,000 tonnes, which exceeds the capacity of the rose oil distilleries. The problem is in the possibilities to purchase the rose flowers rather than the price, as well as the large number of farmers who do not have contracts with distilleries and are not registered as agricultural producers, Porozhanov noted. Currently, distilleries buy more than 150% of their daily capacity to process and much of the flowers does not get processed because it loses its qualities if not processed as quickly as possible, he added.

Every producer has contracts with big buyers from the perfume industry. One kilogramme of rose oil is obtained from about 3-3,5 tonnes of rose flowers, the minister said.

I am not pleased with what was agreed with the agriculture minister, Georgi Delimarinov from the village of Dabene told BNT, but a good step is the adoption of legislation. He noted that a minimum purchase price - between BGN 3.5 - 4.5 per kg of rose flowers should be introduced in the law.

The producer noted that the harvest was rich, but the rose distilleries were few.

Another rose producer did not agree with the words of Minister Porozhanov that the harvest is too big.

The rose growers near Strelcha said they would protest again.

The distilleries are between 30-40, and some have available quantities of rose oil and have not opened for processing this year, Porozhanov noted. He said he would approve aid for registered producers on a basis per decare, with the aid being just under 1 BGN per decare or about 30 stotinki per kg of rose flowers.

Minimum purchase price is an impossible measure, Porozhanov said. It is necessary to regulate production and to certify producers, to ensure the quality of the oil, he added. The relationship between distilleries and rose producers should also be regulated.

Farmers must register and conclude contracts to ensure the realization of their product, Rumen Porozhanov said.

He said there are other payments to the rose producers.

On 19^th of May, oil-bearing rose producers temporarily blocked the traffic on the road Karlovo - Plovdiv near Banya after blocking the road Sofia - Bourgas on 18^th of May. The rose growing farmers said they refused to sell and demanded a price of no less than BGN 2.50 per kg - not only for 2018, but in the future as well.

Since 18^th of May, representatives of distilleries have refused to buy the flowers and the price of 2.50 BGN at the start of the rose picking campaign has dropped drastically to 1.60 BGN per kg, which results in great losses for farmers.

The Minister of Agriculture invited the Mayors and rose producers from Karlovo to a meeting on 20^th of May with all distilleries to discuss the opportunities for purchasing the rose flowers, as there were small producers who have no contracts with the companies that buy.

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