2/7/2015

Bulgarianlavenderproducersworriedaboutdemanddrop

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Bulgarianlavenderproducersworriedaboutdemanddrop
Thursday,July14,2011
ByDianaSimeonova,AFP

TARNICHANE,BulgariaBulgaria,oneofthe
world'stoplavenderoilproducers,iseyeing
boomingpricesthisseasonbutfearsaslumpin
outputcouldleadthecosmeticsindustrytodrop
itsproductinthelongrun.
Thereisacontinuingtendencyforrising
lavenderoilprices.Overthepastthreetofour
yearsthepriceoflavenderoiljumpedthree
times,distilleryownerFilipLissicharovtoldthe
AFPatthestartofthelavenderpickingseason
Friday.
SlumpingproductionintraditionallavenderoilleaderFrancehasshotBulgariatothe
positionoftopproduceraccordingtoLissicharov,whoseEnioBonchevProduction
companyisoneofBulgaria'slargestlavenderoilexporters.
Bulgariahasimposeditselfastheworld'sNo.1lavenderoilproduceroverthepastfew
years,herejoiced.
OurbiggestmarketisFranceitself!
InBulgaria'scentralRosevalleyatthefootoftheBalkanmountains,rowsoflavender
extendasfarastheeyecansee.
Mindlessofthesummerheat,whichisessentialtothelavender'soilyield,thousandsof
workersnimblypluckthelilacflowers,whicharethenpressedbyfootanddistilledwithin
24hours.
AmongtheotherlargebuyersofBulgarianlavenderoilbesidesFranceareGermanyare
SwitzerlandandtheU.S.,accordingtoLissicharov.
Still,boomingpricesarenotallgoodnews.
Weareworriedbythewholestateoflavenderproductionworldwide.Therehasbeena
drasticslumpinoutputoverthepastfewyears,saidPlamenStankovski,managerof
Bulattars,anotherbiglavenderoildistiller.
Soaringpricesanddecliningworldoutputduetounfavorableclimateconditionsandplant
diseaseswerealreadyforcingcosmeticsproducerstosearchforsubstitutesandmight
eventuallyleavelavenderoiloutoftheirproducts,producersfeared.
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2/7/2015

Bulgarianlavenderproducersworriedaboutdemanddrop

Toohighpriceswillgraduallypushourproductoutoftherecipes,accordingto
Stankovski.
Thatiswhywedonothopeforbigpricerisesbutforrealisticpricesofabout80to100
euros(US$114143)perkilo(2.2pounds).
Lavenderoilisusedinperfumesbutalsoinmasscosmeticsindustryproductssuchas
shampoos,soapsandtoothpastes,unlikeBulgaria'sotherworldfamousbutmore
luxuriousscent,roseoil,whichisalso50timesmoreexpensive.
WithfallingproductioninFrance,wehavenocompetitionrightnowandthemarketis
hungryforlavender,LissicharovsaidFriday.
Butourclientsarealsoalreadystartingtolookforsubstitutes,headmitted
apprehensively.
DimitarKunov,whoheadsBulgaria'sessentialoiltestinglaboratory,haswarnedthat
insufficientsupplymightpushpricesthisseasonabovethe100eurothreshold.
In2010,BulgariaandFranceproducedtwothirdsoftheworld'slavenderoiloutputof
80,00090,000kilograms,orabout30,000kilogramseach,distillerssaid.
Butthisoutputwasafarcryfromsixtosevenyearsago,whenBulgariaalonecouldship
abroad90,000kilogramsinoneyear.
Ukraine,Moldova,GeorgiaandChinaarealsoamongtheworld'sleadinglavenderoil
producers.
Copyright19992015TheChinaPost.

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