Sheep

The price of retail lamb in Bulgaria has surged by 8.4% on an annual basis, according to statistics released by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, with data sourced from SAPI indicating an average price of BGN 25.27 per kilogram as of April 10.

As Easter approaches, Greeks are facing the highest lamb prices in recent years, prompting many to seek alternatives across the border in Bulgaria. Local farmers in Greece report that lamb meat prices are expected to soar to 15 euros per kilogram, driving consumers to explore other options for their holiday feasts.

Raised only in the eastern province of Van's Gürpınar district, Norduz sheep have been saved from going extinct thanks to the people of Geçerli village who did not migrate from the region in the '90s, with studies for the continuation of the species ongoing since 2007.

According to local media, the largest issue now facing practically all areas of Türkiye where animal husbandry is practiced is the inability to find shepherds, despite the high salaries.

Police in northeastern Greece investigating the murder of a 68-year-old sheep farmer are understood to be focusing on members of the woman's family in order to identify the perpetrator.

Lamb for the Easter holidays will cost between BGN 25 and BGN 29 per kilogram. The exact price will depend on the cut. Simeon Karakolev, co-chairman of the National Sheep and Goat Breeding Association, stated this on the Bulgarian National Television.

He assured that the price of lamb this year will remain almost unchanged and if there is an increase, it will be minimal.

The deadly earthquakes that hit Türkiye's south on Feb. 6 also had a significant impact on agriculture, amounting to a total financial loss of 24 billion Turkish Liras ($1.3 billion), according to a report by the Presidential Strategy and Budget Directorate.

“I was quite surprised,” he added. “It’s not something you see every day on a sheep farm”

Endangered Anatolian mountain sheep, released to nature within the scope an ecological project in the central Anatolian province of Kırşehir, have successfully adapted to natural life, giving the authorities hope for new environmental projects for endangered species.

The farmers may have raised sheep or goats