Bulgarian farmers protest against cheap imports from Ukraine

By Talha Ozturk

BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) - Farmers and agricultural sector workers in Bulgaria staged nationwide protests Tuesday over cheap imports from Ukraine.

Protesters said that many of the country’s agricultural and farming sectors have been damaged by imports, especially grain from Ukraine.

They said the government had not allocated enough of the budget for support and compensation to the agricultural sector.

Kostadin Kostadinov, chairman of the Bulgarian Agrarian Chamber, told the media that not only grain producers but the entire agricultural sector expects support from the government.

He said wheat, barley, corn, sunflower and rapeseed producers should receive priority support.

The Bulgarian government has allocated €76 million ($81.8 million) in support to the agricultural sector for the first half of this year.

However, the sector’s workers find the amount to be insufficient.

"For now, our actions will continue in the countryside, and in the coming days, thousands of heavy off-road vehicles may head towards the capital Sofia,'' said Kostadinov.

Organized by the National Grain Producers Association (NGPA), the sector employees blocked traffic with tractors and off-road vehicles on highways at 85 points in the country for two hours.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov said Monday that after his latest meetings with representatives of the agricultural sector and farmers that the protests "have no justification."

Denkov said that grain producers refused to declare their actual losses by declaring their income.

"The government cannot support grain producers who were profitable in 2023. State and European resources cannot be used for this purpose. Such an approach is contrary to economic logic and will negatively affect other sectors,'' he said.