2024-02-12 23:02:45
Farmers across the country have been facing mounting challenges in agriculture in recent months. Today, peaceful protests by producers were held throughout the country, with heavy equipment blocking a number of key road arteries and approaches to Bulgaria’s borders. Tomorrow, on February 13, 2024, a large protest will be held in the center of Sofia in front of the Council of Ministers building, as well as in 21 other places in the country. This was announced by the Farmers’ Initiative Committee.
In recent months, a number of problems have accumulated that affect farmers, and Minister Vatev has not been able to deal with them. These opinions were expressed by the members of the Initiative Committee, consisting of 26 branch organizations in the agriculture and livestock sector, during a press conference today.
“In this difficult period, Minister Vatev decided to conduct negotiations with an organization that was established a year ago (note: Bulgarian Agrarian Chamber) and to isolate the organizations that have been working in the sector for years,” said Mariana Miltenova during the press conference , chairman of the National Union of Gardeners.
“Each organization that is a member of the IC has sent dozens of letters requesting a meeting with Minister Vatev, in which we can discuss the problems in the sector and look for solutions together. Neither of us have received a response. That is why we are no longer looking for meetings, we are not looking for dialogue, but we are simply demanding his resignation. Because he was not able to deal with any of the problems in the sector in recent months, and he did not want to meet with us to find their solutions together,” the branch officials said.
These issues include changes to the Strategic Plan that cut subsidies by 30%,
new requirements under the eco-schemes that increase the administrative burden on producers, the lack of funds to compensate for the damage caused by the war in Ukraine and much more.
The Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Vatev, has categorically failed to deal with any problem in agriculture. He failed to defend to the Government the budget of the measure because of the war in Ukraine, he did not make the necessary changes in the Strategic Plan so that payments to farmers would not be so reduced. Instead of reducing the administrative burden on farmers, new regulations were introduced that further burdened farmers with bureaucracy. He did not express a specific position regarding GMO products, with which to protect Bulgarian production and Bulgarian producers.
We call for changes and greater support for the sector, which is of key importance for the country’s economy. Due to the accumulated problems in the sector and the lack of solutions, we insist on the resignation of the Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Vatev, and his immediate replacement with a competent person who will promptly start solving the problems in the sector.
Here are the points for tomorrow’s protest:
Main road Elhovo-Lesovo,
International road Pleven-Oryahovo, near the town of Knezha
Petolatchka road junction (Yambol-Sliven)
Main road Varna-Burgas (at the Varna exit)
S. Dolni Bogrov
The road to the Ilinden-Ekzohi border crossing
The road to Kalotina border crossing
The road to the Kulata border crossing
The road to Gueshevo border crossing
Main road Ruse-Tarnovo (near Polikraishte)
The road from Vidin to Danube Bridge 2
Roundabout in Blagoevgrad
The Pleven-Sofia road (at the fork for the village of Gorni Dabnik)
Sub-Balkan road (at the turnoff for Pavel Banya)
The exit to the Hemus highway after Zlatna Panega
On the Pleven-Sofia road near Lukovit
On the road Byala – Ruse near Gorna Studena
Main road Vidin-Archar-Montana
Main road Vidin-Lom-Ruse
On the road Samokov-Dupnitsa
Kyustendil – at the exit to Sofia