A farmer stands in front of a tractor during a protest against the lifting of ban on imports of grain coming from Ukraine, in Dragoman, near the border with Serbia, on September 18, 2023. (Photo by Nikolay DOYCHINOV / AFP)
Sofia: Bulgarian farmers took to the streets and blocked roads across the country on Monday to protest a government decision to lift a ban on Ukrainian grain imports that expired last week.
In May, the EU began restricting the grain imports to Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia, seeking to protect their farmers who blamed the imports for a slump in prices on local markets.
Following the lifting of the European Union ban on Friday, Bulgaria also decided to end import restrictions, sparking outrage among farmers after Poland, Hungary and Slovakia announced they would defy the EU move.
With their tractors, farmers also blocked two bridges over the Danube bordering Romania.
"Processing plants import cheaper grains from Ukraine, while our costs have tripled since the start of the war," farmer Yasen Nakov told AFP at a protest in the town of Dragoman near the border with Serbia.
"My silos are full of wheat, I have nowhere to store the sunflower seeds that I reap now and then the maize will come," said farmer Ivan Borisov, complaining about a "distorted market".
Anger built up after pro-European Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov on the weekend accused farmers of behaving like "terrorists" after refusing to negotiate.
He went on to say that a small share of Bulgarian farmers "receive the lion's share of the multi-billion subsidies with which they have bought villas, yachts and expensive cars".
Further demonstrations are planned for Tuesday in the capital Sofia.
