Peach growers in Bulgaria’s Sliven region are considering abandoning their orchards as low purchase prices and rising production costs push many farmers to the edge of survival.
In the country’s so-called “Valley of Peaches,” processing companies are currently buying peaches for compote production at 37 euro cents per kilogram, the same level as last year. Producers say that this price no longer covers their expenses amid sharp increases in the cost of fertilizers, fuel, agricultural preparations and labor.
Some farmers are already thinking about uprooting their trees because continuing production has become financially unsustainable.
"I will not destroy it... I will uproot it. Because my expenses are more than my income," said fruit grower Apostol Evtimov from the region.
He explained that after last year’s frost damage, farmers have faced another wave of increased costs, estimated at between 25% and 30%.
