The analyses presented to the Grain Advisory Board show that, both in quantity and quality, this year's harvest is better than the previous one's and that it is approaching a record 2017, stressed Minister of Agriculture, Food and Forestry Dessislava Taneva at a meeting of the Advisory Council on Grain.

Wheat yield was 8.7% higher than last year and 5,646,004 tonnes of wheat were harvested this year, compared to 5,194,500 tonnes from last year. Average yields on the previous year also increased by 8.3% - 519 kg/ha now from 479 kg/ha in the last 2018.

The yield of barley from this harvest is also higher by 8.3% than 2018 and amounts to 533,785 tonnes compared to 492,504 tonnes in the past. The average yield is 474 kg/ha, which is 8% higher than last year (439 kg/ha). Besides, 390 211 tonnes of rapeseed were obtained with an average yield of 264 kg/ha, 6,126 tonnes of rye with an average yield of 207 kg/ha and 34,334 tonnes of triticale with an average yield of 336 kg/ha.

The total amount of wheat grain after the complete harvest is expected to be around 5.8 - 5.9 million tonnes and about 540 thousand tonnes of barley. It is expected that wheat harvest will be at the level of a record 2017, when 6.13 million tonnes of wheat was reached and an average yield of 535 kg/ha.

Good baking qualities are also shown by the analysis of the quality of the grain obtained. Of the nearly 430 samples taken from batches of nearly 800,000 tonnes at the Central Grain Quality Lab, indications are that nearly half, or a total of 47.8% of the grain harvested, is of high baking quality, up from 15.75% for the 2018 crop. 41.70% of the grain is Group B, compared to 16.10% last year. The third group, which is mainly used for fodder purposes, now falls 52.20% from 78.6% last year.

The areas sown with spring crops are 4 603 246 acres of maize and 7 525 590 acres of sunflower, and so far they are developing at expected rates, it became clear on the council. The plants of both crops are in good overall condition.

During the meeting, the branch organizations also raised the topic of the need to obtain homogeneous lots in terms of varieties and quality in order for the production to be competitive in all markets. The chairman of the council, Ventsislav Varbanov, said in this connection that there was a need for more coordination between them in order to be able to look for a mutually beneficial relationship between manufacturers and traders in order to find the best positions on the market. The readiness for assistance from the branch in implementing the measures taken to limit ASF was also expressed.