In Bulgaria, vegetable prices have escalated by nearly 15% over the past year, with domestic cucumbers currently priced at 4 leva per kilogram, marking them as the priciest.
Rosen Petrakiev, an experienced vegetable grower from Martin, attributes this price increase to the extreme heat adversely affecting produce quantity and quality, thus reducing supply and elevating prices, Novinite.com informs. Petrakiev notes that the cost hikes are a direct consequence of harsh weather conditions, diminishing crop yields.
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Additionally, he mentions that to mitigate these climate impacts, farmers have had to increase their investment in plant protection, thereby raising operational expenses. Regarding the influence of drought and water prices, Petrakiev explains that vegetable irrigation primarily relies on boreholes or rivers, suggesting that farmers in Northern Bulgaria are not significantly impacted by water costs.
Kuncho Kunchev, a municipal market manager in Ruse, observes that the market has a minimal presence of imported produce, mainly consisting of non-locally grown crops. He further comments on the growing consumer preference for high-quality food, with Bulgarians becoming more discerning in their food choices.
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