EC will compensate Bulgarian grain producers with further 16 million euro

Bulgarian grain producers will receive 16 million euros from the European Commission as compensation for their unsold stocks after duty-free imports of Ukrainian grain, caretaker Agriculture Minister Yavor Gechev said on March 21. He met with protesting farmers in the village of Gorna Studena, Svishtov municipality, Northern Bulgaria.

According to him, Bulgaria has large quantities of Ukrainian grain and unsold Bulgarian grain, which confirms that Bulgaria is more affected by Ukrainian imports than other countries in Europe.

The grain growers welcomed Agriculture Minister Yavor Gechev with another blockade with tractors and harvesters on the main road Pleven - Rousse near Gorna Studena.

According to Yavor Gechev, the position of the protesters against the duty-free import of Ukrainian grain, which is undercutting the markets in Bulgaria, coincides with the position of the country and added that every effort has been made to change the situation, but at the moment there is no such mechanism.

"The Commission this time reacted at least partially to our things. According to preliminary data, three countries will receive funds in terms of European solidarity. The preliminary figures are €16 million in relation to Bulgaria, which we will use for additional subsidies for crisis storage to at least partially support what you have lost," said Yavor Gechev, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Forestry.

But grain growers are adamant that this aid will not save them from bankruptcy.

The protesters are also demanding that the Strategic Plan for the development of the sector be changed, as they believe it is dooming small and medium-sized producers to bankruptcy.

Minister Gechev agreed with the farmers, but explained that this year is a transitional year for the implementation of the plan and none of them will be subject to sanctions.

Grain producers blocked Rousse-Pleven road