16.09.2023
There is now a solution to the main problem of farmers who are about to lodge a protest in the coming days. The solution is the agreement between the European Commission and Ukraine. Ukraine made a commitment to the Commission to enforce interim restrictive measures vis-à-vis the exports of its farm produce individually for each EU member state so as to check the outpouring of unneeded surpluses on that member’s market.
This was stated by Prime Minister Acad. Nikolai Denkov as he met the media today. He said he had spoken twice about that with Ukraine’s Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal. “We are expected to specify the quantities of the products that the Bulgarian market can absorb. We want to give specific figures after talks with the branch organizations from the respective subsectors. It was the issue for which the Minister of Agriculture and Food and after him I myself invited the farmers to a meeting that they declined,” the Prime Minister explained.
“Instead of accepting the invitations, they issued ultimatums and threats that in fact prevent the solution to the problems. Nevertheless, we are extending a hand to the sector and are willing to negotiate as soon as the branch organizations are ready for a constructive dialog,” Acad. Nikolai Denkov emphasized.
The government has never refused talks with the agriculture sector. On 25 July the Prime Minister, the Minister of Finance and a Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food met with members of 35 organizations in the livestock sector. “The vast majority of these breeders approved the liberalization of imports from Ukraine,” the Prime Minister recalled.
In addition, representatives of the now protesting branch organizations participated in five advisory councils in the Ministry of Agriculture between early August and mid-September this year. They are also part of the working groups under the Strategic Plan for Agriculture and maintain constant contact with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food and Minister Kiril Vatev.
“As heretofore, the cabinet is willing to have a dialog with the representatives of each subsector in agriculture in order to see what its specific problems are and where exactly help should be given,” Acad. Nikolai Denkov repeated.
Products that are harmful to health are not and will not be allowed into Bulgaria. There are and there will be strict controls on imports for compliance with European standards, including on all risk indications arising from the war in Ukraine. This was announced at the briefing in the Council of Ministers building.
Between 1 October 2022 and 3 May 2023 when the ban on import took effect, the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency (BFSA) analyzed 575 grain shipments – imports from Ukraine to Bulgaria. No harmful substances were detected in either but for one shipment of 40 metric tons where barn pests were found. The whole shipment was sent back to Ukraine.
As the ban is lifted reckoned from tomorrow, 18 September 2023, the BFSA will exercise additional control on food imported from Ukraine to the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria.
The cabinet is already working to change the methodology for farming subsidies. The idea is to offer more support to Bulgarian small and medium-sized farms whose traditional production is no longer to be found in the market such as market gardening, orcharding, livestock breeding, dairy and apiculture.
“I respect the people whose produce feeds us. I am ready at all times to work with those of them who want to work with the government to find solutions to their problems together. I will apologize to these people if they got offended even though I did not mean them when I said that,” said the Prime Minister as he answered a reporter’s question.
“I see no reason to apologize to others who despite the billions of annual subsidies and aids with which they built their villas and bought their yachts and expensive cars forgot the support from the European Union and from the government, refused to have dialog with the government and uttered ultimatums to block border crossings, roads and the center of the capital city’” Acad. Nikolai Denkov said. He called on each farmer to decide which of these two groups he belongs to in the coming days.
