site.btaAgriculture Minister Vatev Comments Request for EC to Extend Agricultural Import Restrictions

The request to extend the restrictions against Ukrainian agricultural imports in five EU countries is to be submitted to the European Commission and the Commission is to make a final decision, Minister of Agriculture and Food Kiril Vatev told BTA here on Saturday. 

Five countries, including Bulgaria, are demanding that the EU extend the ban on grain imports from Ukraine.

According to Vatev, Bulgaria has a problem with only three products. "This is a rather complicated political issue and the Agriculture Ministry level is insufficient to address it. Bulgaria's problems are only with sunflower, sunflower crude oil and dry milk. We do not have a problem with wheat, maize, barley. Bulgarian sunflowers are sitting in warehouses. Dry milk, which comes in at a very low price from Ukraine, brings down the prices of Bulgarian milk and it is already below cost price," the Minister said. 

He also commented on Russia's exit from the Black Sea deal. "This is where the problem started - Ukraine can no longer export its grain stocks by sea and this has to be done overland, through the so-called solidarity corridors. At the same time, our infrastructure is unable to accommodate such intensive traffic. Our ports in Varna and Burgas do not have the capacity to load such a quantity," said Kiril Vatev.

He added that this is why assistance from Greece and Croatia will be sought to use their ports. 

"The problem is international and concerns the entire European Union. We are all in solidarity with Ukraine, it is an invaded country. Its large sunflower processing plants are currently out of production capacity and this is where the big problem is already starting from, as worldwide sunflower oil production is concentrated in Ukraine, Romania and Bulgaria," the Agriculture Minister said.

He said Bulgaria is one of the largest producers of sunflower oil and exports have increased significantly. 

Agriculture and Food Minister Kiril Vatev opened the first of its kind wine festival "Discover it! Local Wine" in the  village of Oreshak. Exhibitors from Bulgaria and Romania are presenting their products at 25 stands.