Bulgaria blooms in production of lavender oil

(15 Jul 2014) The carpet of organic lavender stretches 100 hectares (250 acres) at the Enio Bonchev Production Company located close to the central town of Kazanlak, at the foot of the Balkan mountains in Bulgaria.
It's noon, and dozens of workers are picking lavender blossoms in the blistering heat on the purple coloured fields. At temperatures close to the 100-degrees-Fahrenheit mark (37.8 Celsius) the blossoms' concentration of oil is at its highest. Skilled workers can pick up to 300 kilograms (660 lbs.) of blossoms per day.
Despite the beautiful setting, work in the fields in tough, as seasonal worker, Nina Pashova explains.
"Each summer I work here on the field along with my father. I cannot find any other job. I'm unemployed for the rest of the year. Summer time we work, winter time we don't. There's no other way here for us."
Within 24 hours, bags packed with lavender petals are taken to the nearby distillery where workers press them by foot before the precious oil is extracted in a steam distillation process.
Bulgarian farmers have expanded their output of lavender oil leaving France lagging behind. France is the traditional leader in the production of this important cosmetics ingredient.
Bulgaria has doubled its production of lavender essential oil from 60 metric tonnes in 2011 to an expected 120 metric tonnes this year, according to one of the country's top producers.
Looking into Bulgaria's expansion into the lavender business, Nikolay Ninov, an expert at the state-run laboratory for essential oils, says production has shrunk in countries like Hungary, Moldova and Ukraine - especially on the Crimea peninsula.
He says Bulgaria, the EU's poorest country with its high unemployment rate, scores of skilled farmers, a favourable climate and unspoiled fields, provides a promising blend for essential oil producers.
"Producers like Hungary, the former Yugoslav republics, Moldova and Ukraine with its former Crimea peninsula - the heart of the lavender oil production and China have ceased production over the past 30 years leaving it all to Bulgaria."
According to the Enio Bonchev Production Company owner, Filip Lissicharov Bulgarian producers are exporting two-thirds of their output annually to French producers of lavender oil as French companies strive to keep their market position.
He cites reports by CRIEPPAM, a French fragrant plants research organisation, according to which a plague of cicada insects in southern France linked to global warming has seriously damaged crops in the Provence lavender fields.
Lissicharov says Bulgaria has taken advantage of this and expects this year's prices to stay at previous levels of around 60-70 euro (USD $82 - $95) per ton.
Lissicharov warns that lavender oil prices have to be kept at reasonable levels as it is used mainly as an ingredient in mass cosmetics which could be skipped by producers if prices soar.
Other large buyers of Bulgarian lavender oil besides France are Germany, the United States and Japan.


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