The sweet smell of success: How Bulgaria took the lead in lavender

  • Date: 31-Jul-2020
  • Source: BBC
  • Sector:Technology
  • Country:Oman
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The sweet smell of success: How Bulgaria took the lead in lavender

Image copyright

Enio Bonchev









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Bulgarian lavender production, shown here, overtook French output after the latter was ravaged by disease









If you think of lavender, the picturesque purple fields of Provence, France might spring to mind.

A favourite scent of the Romans, it's used for cosmetics, fragrances, and even - with the help of bees - to make honey.

However, in recent years, Bulgaria, the former communist country in Eastern Europe, has overtaken France to become the world leader in lavender oil production.

In the heart of Bulgaria's Rose Valley, in the foothills of the Balkans mountain range, the fields around the small village of Tarnicheni turn purple every late spring.

Meanwhile, French lavender production has suffered big losses in the past decade, due to a bacterial infection.













Image copyright

Enio Bonchev









Image caption



Filip Lissicharov, the owner of the Enio Bonchev essential oil distillery, says he must export nearly all of his oil









"Somebody needed to fill the gap," says Filip Lissicharov, the owner of the Enio Bonchev essential oil distillery in Tarnicheni. He took over in 1992,