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After cucumbers, the price of tomatoes is expected to increase by 30 to 40%, producers predict.

This is happening against the background of the ban on the export of tomatoes from Turkey, including to Bulgaria.

A check in a large metropolitan market shows that tomatoes are currently mainly imported from Greece, at a price per kilogram between BGN 3.80 for the lowest quality and BGN 6 for the higher class.

We made a comparison with a random supermarket.

There, the vegetable costs between BGN 5.49 for the cheaper ones and BGN 6.49 for the more expensive ones per kilogram.

Turkey stopped exporting tomatoes to the EU

According to Galya Petrova, who is a regular customer of the market, the prices are still high.

"The tomatoes themselves are a good production, they are tasty, but the prices are not affordable for a Bulgarian," she commented to BTV.

Venceslav Chervenkov is a hereditary vegetable grower from Novo Selo.

Grows more than 120 tons of tomatoes per year.

In order to get the first ones to market at the end of May, he heats his greenhouses at night with electric blower stoves.

"Fertilizers have become very expensive - after the war by 200-300%. Increase in electricity prices... Everything is over 70-80% minimum. Some things are over 200%," he commented.

Traders' forecasts are that due to the lack of cheaper imports from Turkey, we will already be buying more expensive Greek tomatoes.

The pink one at Ventsislav's stand costs 5.80.

"It can be 6.50 - 7 BGN extra for the quality," he says.

The price of the Bulgarian tomato is explained by the industry with the difference in the price of electricity, which in Turkey is many times cheaper, and in our country it is nearly 70% of the vegetable's cost price.

"We do not have food independence, except for cereals.

This is the fundamental question", pointed out Tsvetan Tsekov from the National Chamber of Commerce "Fruits and Vegetables".

The Chamber for "Fruits and Vegetables" urged not to buy expensive tomatoes, so that those who sell at high markups can lower the prices.

tomatoes

food prices