site.btaVegetable Oil Producers Reiterate Demand to Liberalize Sunflower Imports from Ukraine

Bulgarian vegetable oil producers on Wednesday reiterated their demand for complete liberalization of sunflower imports from Ukraine.

Oilseed Oil Producers Association President Yani Yanev told the National Assembly Agriculture Committee: "We have been waiting two and a half months to see what happens. No one asked for our opinion before imposing the ban on imports from Ukraine, and now some conditions are being discussed again. Sunflower imports should be liberalized."

Yanev cited Agriculture Ministry data showing that there are 1.6 million tonnes of sunflower in Bulgaria at present. He said vegetable oil producers need twice as much.

This year's sunflower crop has low yield, poor quality and low fat, the expert said. He added that Bulgarian growers sell small amounts of it.

Agriculture Minister Kiril Vatev said that Ukrainian sunflower which is under customs control will be released after November 30 on a quota principle, so that vegetable oil producers can get as much as they need. He assured vegetable oil companies that they will not be left without sunflower to process.