Angry Farmers: Govt Dooms Bulgarians to Eating Frozen Irish Meat

Outraged Bulgarian farmers staged a protest rally against the policies of the Agriculture Ministry desgined to resemble a funeral procession burying the animal-breeding sector. Photo by BGNES

Over 200 Bulgarian farmers staged a protest rally in Sofia slamming the policies of the Borisov Cabinet and the Ministry of Agriculture and Foods.

"Stop the Murder of the Farming" and "Minister Naydenov – Liquidator of the Bulgarian Animal Breeding Sector", read some of the banners of the angry protesters who gathered in front of the building of the Ministry of Agriculture.

The participants in the protest were convinced that it depends on the pending decisions in the sector whether "Bulgaria will eat Bulgarian meat, or frozen meet imported from Ireland", for example.

"We are here for the funeral of the Bulgarian cattle-breeding. Our minister doesn't want Bulgarian production, only imported food. We are on the verge of collapsing," said a farmer as cited by BGNES.

The farmers presented numerous grievances – ranging from new taxes and sanctions imposed on them for the 2009 harvest, to low milk and meat prices, and a number of other difficulties.

In their protest declaration to Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, Finance Minister Simeon Djankov, and Agriculture Minister Miroslav Naydenov the farmers state that Ministry and its institutions are staging a discriminatory policy against small and medium-sized farms from the underdeveloped regions of the country, and against the producers of organic foods.

They insist on the immediate payment of subsidies for mountain and underdeveloped regions.

The farmers further demand that all subsidies for green agriculture and organic food be paid by May 15, 2011.

Their declaration has been supported by the Bulgarian Bioproducts Association, the National Association of Animal Breeders in Bulgaria, the National Association of Milk and Meat Producers in Bulgaria, and the National Association of Young Farmers in Bulgaria.

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