Protesting farmers block major roads and border crossings

published on 9/18/23 11:54 AM | updated on 9/18/23 3:49 PM

Photo: BTA

Bulgarian farmers started to block major roads and border crossings across the country. 26 branch organisations announced they were embarking on an indefinite nationwide protest in the agriculture sector. They claim that more than 900,000 people are affected by the country’s decision to waive the ban on imports of agricultural products from Ukraine.

The protesting farmers demand not only that the ban on the import of grain from Ukraine shlould continue, but also to extend it with a veto on fruits, vegetables, meat, milk and honey.

Protesters closed more than 40 major roads in a bid to save the Bulgarian agriculture.

Georgi Milev, Deputy Chairman of the National Grain Producers Association, called on the public to travel only in case of extreme necessity because there is heavy machinery on the roads.

The Sliven region was blocked in two places by the farmers' protests today - the Petolatchka road junction and on the main road Sofia - Burgas in the area of the so-called Yambol clover junction. In Vidin, farmers blocked traffic to the border crossing at Danube Bridge 2, and in Blagoevgrad region - the E-79 road.

"If things don't change, this will bring me to bankruptcy. Everything is just lying in my warehouses, prices are very low, the cost per acre is high. We are ordinary workers who breathe the ashes from morning to night, we are not terrorists", Ivan Blagoev from the village of Kobilyak, who cultivates 1,600 decares, told BNR correspondent Lyubo Andreev, on the occasion of Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov's remark on Saturday, "I do not negotiate with terrorists" about the grain producers' protests.

"I support them, of course. We don't want grain to be imported from Ukraine for the simple reason that our people have companies, pay salaries, have a lot of expenses. Should they go bankrupt in the name of some wrong policy?", commented Ventsislav Yosifov, who had to wait for the column of protesters.

On September 19 the protesters are expected to arrive with their machinery in Sofia to protest in front of the Council of Ministers building. Police are trying to prevent significant roadblocks. Protesters demand the government’s resignation.

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