Browse Data and Analysis

Prospects for marketing year (MY) 2025/26 oilseed crops in Bulgaria are currently positive due to favorable weather and larger planted area. FAS/Sofia estimates the MY 2025/26 rapeseed crop at 240,000 metric tons (MT) and the sunflower crop at 2.0 million metric tons (MMT).

Prospects for winter grain crops in Bulgaria are currently optimistic due to favorable weather and larger planted area.

The 2024 U.S. Agricultural Export Yearbook provides a statistical summary of U.S. agricultural commodity exports to the world during the 2024 calendar year.

In 2024, Bulgarian imports from the United States were nearly $100 million, slightly lower than in 2023, but still up over 50 percent since 2019. Imports of U.S. products were driven by several product groups such as U.S. beef, tree and ground nuts, food preparations, whiskies, essential oils, and rubber.

Bulgaria’s fish and seafood imports have grown steadily over the past decade, nearly doubling in value over this period. Bulgarian importers are seeking to expand the variety of fish available to consumers, particularly in the mid and high-value categories.

In marketing year (MY) 2024/25, Bulgaria harvested its smallest oilseed crop in 15 years due to hot and dry summer weather negatively impacting yields.

Based on the final official harvest data, the Bulgarian corn crop fell to only 1.5 million metric tons (MMT) in marketing year (MY) 2024/25. This is the smallest corn crop since 2012, and was impacted by intense summer heat and drought followed by adverse rainy weather during the harvest.

On December 23, 2024, the European Union published Regulation 2024/3234, which officially delayed the entry into application of the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) until December 30, 2025.

Bisphenol A in food contact materials is banned in the European Unions as of January 20, 2025, with a phase-in period of one to three years depending on the product.

After taking a dip in 2022, the EU organic market began to recover in 2023 as consumers’ financial situations improved. France and Germany still have the largest organic markets in the EU and growth is expected in almost every Member State until 2025.

Strong demand growth continued in the Bulgarian tree nut market in marketing year (MY) 2023/24. The domestic demand increase was led by both the retail/food service industry and by the confectionary trade.

The European Union (EU) follows a complex, rolling system of review for active ingredients and Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) in food. For agricultural inputs, U.S. farmers must know early in the process of review to prevent or mitigate the loss of, and/or access to, chemical inputs.