Drastic Drop in Tobacco Growers Registered in Bulgaria’s Kurdzhali

The number of tobacco growers in Bulgaria's Kurdzhali region has declined almost twofold in comparison to 2013.

Last year, 4 433 growers were registered in the Regional Agriculture Office, while this year the number is 2 800, Dariknews reported.

New legal requirements for proving the eligibility to grow on the respective land could be the reason why less tobacco growers registered by the deadline of May 15, experts say. For this reason, the deadline has been extended by a month.

Another possible reason for the drastic decline could be that less deals between growers and purchasing companies have been signed. This is also a requirement for registration.

Tobacco growers across Bulgaria staged road blockades and protests earlier this year, demanding that the government pays all their entitled subsidies, as well as to force companies to buy out the full amount to which they have signed under contracts. They have also demanded higher purchase prices.

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