Producer prices in Bulgaria’s farming sector decreased by 9.8% year-on-year in the second quarter of the year, whereas no change was detected in livestock breeding, according to data by the National Statistical Institute (NSI).

Grain crops producer prices staged a 9.6% decline; industrial plants fell by 10.5%; fruits and vegetables were down by 9.8% and livestock by 1.9%.

On the downside, soft wheat producer prices shed 9.3%, corn was down 1.6%, rice off 19.3%, barley 20.8%, sunflower 8.6% and potatoes 13.3%.

Overall, however, farmers’ production costs dwindled, with the index of cost of materials in the second quarter slipping 1.7% beneath the year-ago level.