Chicken breasts currently retail at 3.70 levs/kg but is expected to reach 4 levs within days, said Stoimenov. Poultry breeders are the nation's biggest consumers of animal feed. It accounts for 70% of production costs.

The recent drought has resulted in barley and sunseed shortfalls. The new barley crop reached 360 levs/t but was quickly snapped up by the local brewers.

The animal breeders then pinned their hopes on the spring crops but they also suffered major drought loss.

The poultry breeders met with farming ministry officials a few days ago to make the case for fodder imports from the EU intervention reserves.

Hungary has announced a surplus available for export. It is not clear if any Bulgarian traders managed to comply with the end-June deadline for the Hungarian animal feed tenders.

Producers have also warned that eggs are about to appreciate from 0.13-0.17 levs to 0.20 levs a piece.