site.btaUPDATED Grain Producers' Protests Go into Third Day

Protesting farmers closed the Trakia Motorway at Stara Zagora to traffic for 45 minutes until 1 p.m. on Thursday, causing vehicles to form long lines in both directions on Bulgaria's most important international road.

Radoslav Hristov, President of the Thracian Association of Grain Producers (TAGP), told the media: "After yesterday's meeting at the Council of Ministers we were dissatisfied with what the government proposed. After we briefed our members, the tension rose even higher." According to Hristov, the continuing protests are aimed to make the government hear that what it is proposing does not satisfy the farmers at all.

The protests will resume at 10 a.m. on Friday, Hristov said. "Whether the Trakia Motorway will be closed again remains to be seen tomorrow. We look forward to a 4:30 meeting with Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov. I do hope that both sides will be sensible. We have made a lot of concessions."

The TAGP leader complained that Bulgarian grain growers have not received direct support based on land size since 2011. "For 13 years now, we have shown understanding for other sectors and the fiscal situation, but now we want the government to show understanding for us," he said.

Hristov apologized to the citizens affected by the protests. Cars carrying little children and people needing medical attention were allowed to pass through the blockade on Trakia Motorway.

Earlier, protesters used heavy-duty farming machinery to close the highway between Stara Zagora and Dimitrovgrad for the third day in a row. The road leading up to Danube Bridge 2 at Vidin was also blocked.

The main demands of the grain growers are about legislative amendments to ensure economic security in the sector, an effort to change the conditions of the European Green Deal, and an allowance of BGN 200 per hectare to mitigate the effects of the war in Ukraine.

Also on Thursday, farmers from Plovdiv Region blocked a road junction near the village of Trud to demonstrate their opposition to the government policy for the sector. Dozens of farmers expressed their discontent by burning bales of hay, spilling milk and discarding fruit on the road.

They reiterated their intention to extend the daily duration of their protests until their demands are met.

The protesting Farmers said their protests will continue on Friday, when they will last one hour longer - from 10:00 am until 3:00 pm. Another meeting with the Government is scheduled for Friday afternoon. If no agreement is reached during this meeting about extending aid to critical sectors in the equal to the funding received in the last two years, farmers threaten to continue protesting in Sofia next week. Farmers' main demands remain unchanged.