Bulgarian Grain Producers begin three days of Protest Action

The National Association of Grain Producers is starting today three days of effective protest actions at the border points at Vidin, Ruse, Silistra and Kardam.

The requests of the grain producers are not to extend for Bulgaria the effect of the European regulation on duty-free import of goods of agricultural origin from Ukraine.

Bulgarian grain producers are under increasing pressure from the intensive Ukrainian import of grain and sunflower oil crops into the country, which completely blocks the trade of native production. The warehouses of the agricultural producers are full of dormant production. There is no market for Bulgarian grain, and the harvest is coming in two months. The new harvest has nowhere to be harvested and there is no prospect of the situation improving if Ukrainian imports of agricultural goods into the country continue, explains the chairman of the national industry association Kostadin Kostadinov.

The grain producers also expect support from the Minister of Agriculture.

"He should come to the protest. We expect our government to support us not to extend this regulation, let's just say it because the Bulgarian farmer has suffered enough adversity, paid enough for his tolerance, we will put him on a tractor, he will lead the column that will parade on the road to the border before the Danube bridge," Kostadin Kostadinov said.

Between 10 and 11 a.m. every day until March 31, farmers will block the four border points along our northern border with heavy equipment. If after their three-day protest there is no result, they are ready to continue.

"On the 7th (April 2018) the Romanian colleagues will block the port of Constanta, the road to the border, and we will eventually go out to act...