A total of 4,408,107 tonnes of wheat have been harvested so far from 1,007,392.4 hectares or 97.91 per cent of the total area, according to current figures of the Agriculture and Forestry Chief Directorate, cited to journalists by Agriculture and Food Minister Valeri Tsvetanov on Tuesday.

The average yield countrywide is 4,380 kg/ha. The highest average yields were reported in the regions of Dobrich (5,360 kg/ha), Silistra (5,070 kg/ha), Razgrad (4,720 kg/ha), Pleven (4,580 kg/ha), Sliven (4,590 kg/ha), and Vratsa and Vidin (4,480 kg/ha), BTA reports.

"This year's harvest is among the best, and the average yields are the highest in 16 years," Tsvetanov said. Wheat and barley yields exceeding 4,000 kg/ha have not been registered since 1991. The Minister attributes this to the adequate agrotechnical procedures applied in the cultivation of winter wheat and the relatively favorable climatic conditions in autumn and spring.

A total of 901,717 tonnes of barley (833,821 t of winter barley and 67,896 t of spring barley) have been harvested from 225,363.3 hectares. The average yield countrywide is 4,090 kg/ha for winter barley and 3,190 kg/ha for spring barley. The highest average yields for winter barley were reported in the regions of Dobrich (5,080 kg/ha), Silistra (4,610 kg/ha), Pleven (4,480 kg/ha), Razgrad (4,430 kg/ha), Varna (4,290 kg/ha), Bourgas (4,200 kg/ha), Turgovishte (4,190 kg/ha), and Shoumen (4,130 kg/ha).

A total of 11,342 tonnes of rye have been harvested from 4,879.2 hectares or 68.98 per cent of the total. The average yield is 2,320 kg/hectare. The 5,020.9 ha of triticale plantations harvested so far represent 84.71 per cent of the total area. The produce is 17,129 tonnes, and the average yield is 3,410 t/ha.

A total of 233,473 tonnes of oilseen rape have been gathered in from 87,803.9 hectares or 99.50 per cent of the 93,729.8 ha total. The yield averages 2,660 kg/ha. The highest average yields are reported from Dobrich (3,120 kg/ha), Pleven (2,990 kg/ha), Razgrad (2,830 kg/ha), Silistra (2,790 kg/ha), Montana (2,740 kg/ha), Varna (2,670 kg/ha) and Vratsa (2,580 kg/ha).

The National Customs Agency reports that 109,489 t of grain from the new harvest were exported between July 1 and August 3, 2008 at an average price of 350.90 leva/tonne. The largest quantities were exported to Madagascar (18,000 t), Israel (16,000 t), Morocco (15,000 t), Egypt (15,000 t) and Algeria (13,000 t), said Deputy Agriculture and Food Minister Svetla Buchvarova. The wheat export for the period from July 1 to June 30, 2008 totaled 395,000 tonnes, at an average price of 493.1 leva/tonne.

Buchvarova expects 2 million tonnes of grain of the 2008 harvest to be exported.

Overall, an estimated 5,345,796 t of cereals have been gathered in so far, which is enough to meet the demand of the Bulgarian market for flour, animal feed and export. The grain harvest is expected to top 8 million tonnes at the end of the season.