Commenting on the tensions in the agricultural sector, Agriculture Minister Kiril Vatev said that farmers will protest no matter what, and he will stand by their protest. Vatev took part in a ceremony honouring Bulgaria’s best athletes of 2023 on Saturday.
The Minister said that funding opportunities have been sought since the beginning of 2024.
On the talks between farmers and Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov, which are expected to take place in the Council of Ministers on Sunday, Vatev said: “Whatever happens tomorrow, whatever is decided upon, the farmers will protest”. He was adamant that he would stand by their protest to support them against the setbacks caused by environmental requirements, which render them unprofitable on the market, as well as against unfair competition and dumped imports from third countries. Vatev specified that it was not just Ukraine that was being referred to but also Latin American countries, for example. “These are countries that do not meet the EU's tough environmental standards,” he added.
Vatev singled out another reason to support the protest, namely the unfair distribution of value added along the whole agri-food chain. He added that a bill has been drafted on this issue and is already being discussed. The Agriculture Minister noted that the requirements are almost the same across Europe, which, he argued, means that it is a Europe-wide problem. He said that information is continuously coming out about what measures have been taken in which country, adding that tax breaks are offered in the majority of cases.
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