Bulgarian Farmers Threaten Protest, Demand Resignation of Agriculture Minister Over Subsidies Dispute

Tensions escalate in Bulgaria's agricultural sector as five sectoral agricultural organizations demand immediate subsidy payments to counteract the adverse impacts of Ukrainian agricultural imports. Expressing frustration, the aggrieved farmers have announced plans for a protest march from the Ministry of Agriculture to the Council of Ministers in Sofia, seeking Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov's intervention and the resignation of Agriculture and Food Minister Kiril Vatev.

The organizations, rallying under the banner "Against the destruction of our dairy farming and greenhouse vegetable production," claim that the current financial support from the state falls short. They warn that Bulgarian livestock farming faces an impending threat of extinction, citing alarming statistics: 48 cattle farms have gone bankrupt in the past 10 months, with a 13,000-tonne decline in milk processing in the last four months alone, according to livestock organizations.

Minister Kiril Vatev, however, countered these claims, asserting that the protesting farmers represent larger agricultural entities and are the highest recipients of subsidies compared to others.

The dispute revolves around the perceived inadequacy of financial aid and its disproportionate distribution among farmers. The brewing discontent within the agricultural community reflects the growing concern about the sustainability of Bulgaria's farming sector amidst increasing imports and declining domestic production.

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