Bulgaria maintains ban on Ukrainian imports after clash with grain producers

Bulgaria will not allow the import of sunflower seeds from Ukraine for the time being, it was announced after four hours of tense negotiations between the government and protesting farmers, who entered a second day of blocking roads across the country and parked 600 tractors, combines and other farm machinery at the entrance to the capital.

Farmers have been calling for a national ban on imports of sunflower seeds, wheat, maise and rapeseed from Ukraine. However, when the Bulgarian government and then the European Commission announced the temporary ban was lifted on 15 September, farmers took to the streets in protest.

“In a little while, I have a phone conversation with the Ukrainian prime minister, and I will inform him that our country will set a quota for sunflower seeds, and until then, no imports will be allowed,” Prime Minister Mykola Denkov said at the late briefing after the meeting with the farmers on Tuesday evening.

For now, grain producers and processors must agree on how many tonnes of sunflower seed should be imported from Ukraine to enable them to work, and sunflower seed from Bulgarian producers will be bought.

Regarding the remaining crops of wheat, maise and rapeseed, Denkov announced that a meeting would be held between the European Commission and Ukraine on the issue.

As for the farmers’ second request to pay the total amount of compensation for the increased production costs as a result of the Russian war in Ukraine, Denkov said they will receive their subsidies by 30 September.

Finance Minister Asen Vasilev reminded that farmers have already received €75 million in aid from Ukraine, and now another € 32 million is to be distributed.

“There are many unresolved problems, and possibilities for their solution have been indicated. I hope that the protest will end tonight,” Agriculture Minister Kirill Vatev said on Tuesday/

“If the protest continues even after the government has accepted all this, it means that the goals are different”, he warned farmers who so far have not given a clear answer as to whether the protest will continue on Wednesday.

“There are still open topics. We expect the answers within tomorrow,” Simeon Karakolev, chairman of the National Sheep and Goat Breeding Association, said.

The 27 protesting organisations will decide whether to protest on Wednesday after informing their members of what has been achieved in negotiations with the government.

Tags: Ukraine, Bulgaria, импорт, wheat, rapeseed, ban, sunflower seeds, maise