Rose growers in Karlovo destroy plantations due to low sales price of flowers

Oil-bearing rose growers in Bulgaria’s Karlovo region have started destroying their rose plantations due to the low sales price of the rose flowers. The farmers warned that without the help of the state they would go bankrupt.

One of the largest rose growers in Karlovo region, used a tractor to uproot over 25 decares planted with oil-bearing Rosa Damascena variety. Zornitsa Rancheva said that they grow about 200 decares of rose plantations and this is the main livelihood for her family. For this year the invested costs for the cultivation of the rose gardens amount to BGN 50,000. She said that currently the sales price per kg of rose petals is BGN 1.50. She added that there was not enough work force and even if they found, workers would be paid 0.70 BGN for picking. She thinks that hardly anyone would agree to work for such a low remuneration.

According to Rancheva, without the help of the state, the industry is doomed.

Zornitsa Rancheva: We want the state to give us additional support per kg of flowers produced, not as it is so far per decare.

According to the chairman of the rose growers' association, the solution to the problem is to achieve a sales price that satisfies both growers and processors.

Hristo Nikolov, Chairman of the Professional Association of Rose Producers: The compromise cannot be entirely at the expense of the rose growers. W are the unit which, if it does not continue to work in a normal way and with the necessary care, the industry will be doomed.

The rose picking season is expected to start next week. Nikolov said that most of the rose growers will not start harvesting the rose flowers if the price at which they sell their product is lower than BGN 2.50 per kg.