Listen to the news

For the first time, the cabinet that governs Bulgaria and the Bulgarian people are on strike together on one side of the barricades.

This was stated by Todor Dzhikov, Deputy Minister of Agriculture, to BNR.

"Bulgarian farmers want justice. People did not talk about money, they wanted a fair price for the produced products that are sitting in their warehouses. Apparently this is not a corridor, but this is an opportunity where Ukrainian farmers, in conditions of war, selling to any price, and this price is clearly below the cost price of the Bulgarian production, remains in Bulgaria as a depot where the Bulgarian farmers were unable to sell their produce", he explained in an interview for the show "Before Everyone".

According to him, the situation with sunflowers is the most difficult:

for 2021, 20 thousand tons of sunflowers were imported from Ukraine to Bulgaria, for 2022 almost 900 thousand tons were imported.

The annual production of Bulgaria is about 1.2 tons.

Almost 80% of the annual yield of the Bulgarian producers was not sold, but was replaced by the sunflower from Ukraine

.

Currently, the Bulgarian processors are working with Ukrainian raw materials, the Deputy Minister of Agriculture emphasized.

According to him, however, there is no way for the state to oblige an enterprise to buy raw materials not from where it is most profitable, but from where the state wants.

If this regulation continues as it is, Bulgarian farmers will continue to suffer losses for another year, noted Dzhikov and added: "If this regulation ends, Ukrainian grain will enter the EU with customs duties and will not be able to be sold on such dumping prices. The desire of the Bulgarian state and the official cabinet is that as there is solidarity with Ukraine, so that the consequences of this solidarity are borne by all countries in solidarity. If this regulation continues to operate and Ukraine imports freely and duty-free the goods it produces, or there is adequate compensation shared equally by all EU member states, as well as traceability, or it is practically pointless for several EU countries, including Bulgaria, to bear only the negatives".

He emphasized that currently the Bulgarian losses are close to BGN 100 million. We will insist on such compensation before Brussels, Todor Djikov is categorical.

According to him, the losses continue to grow every day.

Dzhikov also pointed out the problem with full warehouses, and a new harvest is coming.

A very serious import of milk powder is also being noticed, he said.

"Things did not escalate on the eve of the elections.

The elections have nothing to do with

it," the Deputy Minister is emphatic.

Grain producers are protesting again today.

Blockades are expected on key roads

farmers

Todor Dzhikov