Farmers call off protest plans

Farmers received guarantees that they would receive the full amount of so-called "Ukrainian aid" by the end of November and called off the protest standby. This became clear after a meeting of representatives of the agricultural sector with caretaker Finance Minister Lyudmila Petkova and the Minister of Agriculture Georgi Tahov on October 10. Today the allocated 200 million BGN, which is the first part of the promised funds, have been paid. The remaining 125 million BGN will be provided by the end of November, the Finance Ministry promised.

"The "Ukrainian aid" funds were not part of the Budget 2024. So a restructuring was needed to be allocated. The balance of 125 million will be provided by the end of November. It will be again through restructuring of expenditures, by ministerial decree," Minister Petkova said.

The extra BGN 200 million allocated by the government, have now been transferred to the accounts of the agricultural producers, caretaker Minister of Agriculture said.

All farmers are satisfied with the outcome of the meeting, we cancel the protest readiness, National Grain Producer Association Chair, Ilia Prodanov, said.

Bulgarian farmers announce readiness to protest because of delayed payment of 'Ukrainian aid'

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On October 7, the government said it approved an additional BGN 200 million for the budget of the State Fund Agriculture for 2024.

After a meeting on October 8, the farmers decided that their protest readiness remains. The tension in the sector was due to the delayed paymenet of the so-called 'Ukrainian aid' of 325 million BGN, which was to be paid by 30 September.