Bulgarian farmers joined the profession's angry movement in Europe on Tuesday, condemning imports from Ukraine, precarious conditions and what are seen as excessive European environmental standards.
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“It's hell! We are on a tightrope,” Ventsislav Mitkov, a 42-year-old small grain producer who came to Breznik (west) for the demonstration, told AFP. “Many farmers risk going bankrupt within six months if we do not receive the subsidies and compensation we are entitled to in the face of unfair Ukrainian competition.”
Although the movement has lost momentum in France and Romania, there are still demonstrations in some EU countries, from the Netherlands to Spain, from Latvia to Italy, against a backdrop of diverse demands.
Hundreds of tractors waved the Bulgarian flag and honked, blocking traffic across the Balkan country. The demonstrators are threatening to expand their actions in the coming days.
Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov promised to “release aid as quickly as possible to those who really need it” and to talk to Brussels.
At the forefront, the European Commission on Tuesday buried a legislative proposal to reduce pesticide use in a new commitment to farmers.
Dissatisfaction with the customs exemption for Ukrainian agricultural products that will be granted from 2022 is also growing. Given the influx of cheap grain onto Bulgarian soil, the sector has long denounced this “distorted” competition and held demonstrations as early as spring 2023.
“They are driving down prices by facilitating imports from countries outside the EU, while at the same time imposing restrictions on us that limit our competitiveness,” said Miloslav Mihaylov, 35, who is very angry about the European rules.