Animal farmers plan a protest on Thursday

Farmers are organising a protest on Thursday demanding the resignation of Agriculture and Food Minister Kiril Vatev, Dimitar Zorov from the National Union of Cattle Breeders in Bulgaria said this at a press conference in Sofia on November 21.

The procession will start at 11:00 from the Ministry of Agriculture and Food and will end in front of the Council of Ministers.

"The industry is heading towards a severe decline. We want people to be able to eat Bulgarian fruit and vegetables and meat, and drink Bulgarian milk," Zorov said.

Dimitar Zorov's position was supported by Boyko Sinapov from United Bulgarian Breeders, Penka Hristova - Institute of Women Farmers, Ivan Chalakov - Union of Breeders in Bulgaria, Maria Stepancheva - Association of Buffalo Breeders in Bulgaria, Velin Georgiev - National Association of Greenhouse Producers.

"The Minister of Agriculture called us greedy. We are not greedy, but working people and that is why we appeal to GERB and MRF to support our demand for the resignation of the Minister", said Boyko Sinapov.

In response, Kiril Vatev said that the desire of the breeders for the rates of transitional national aid and coupled support to return to last year's levels is not possible, because this is the entire EU policy.

"This applies to all EU countries, Bulgaria is no exception. It is good, when we want something, to know that there are rules, laws, regulations," the agriculture minister said at an event on the occasion of the Food Industry Day.

He added that he would very much like to see the market shares of producers who want more money.

"The most important thing is what we produce for the consumer," he stressed.

Regarding the "de minimis" rate, Vatev explained that it will become clear once the submission of applications is completed and it is seen how many producers the budget will have to be divided among.

Asked why the same five organisations were dissatisfied and threatening protests, the minister said that he had told them everything he had and it was "time to come down to earth, to stop craving and to raise their productivity". According to him, it is all based on just asking for money.