Bulgaria. Barley S&D Balance: High prices for grains in the season of 2003/04 promoted a significant rise of sown areas under barley of the 2004' harvest. As a result, the areas under this crop totaled 333.5 thousand ha, which corresponded to a 17% increment from the last year's figure. According to the final data with the Bulgarian Ministry of Agriculture, because of expanded sown areas and higher yields, barley harvest reached 1180 KMT in 2004, according to UkrAgroConsult.

Since the season's beginning, 380 KMT of barley were exported with feed barley accounting for around 71% of the total barley exports. The main destinations for the barley exports were Romania (55 KMT), Greece (50 KMT), Tunisia (47.7 KMT), Cyprus (27.1 KMT), Italy (23 KMT), and some other countries. The country also exported 38 KMT of malting barley (10% of the total) and 57.7 KMT of milling barley (15% of the total). The record high barley export was registered in the season of 2002/2003, when Bulgaria exported 520 KMT.


According to UkrAgroConsult's estimates, barley exports in the season of 2004/05 will total 430-460 KMT. Demand for feed barley from the Black Sea region contributed to a growth of both domestic and export prices. Since the beginning of the season, prices have been going up gradually in Bulgaria like in other countries of the region.

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