Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2024 All Rights Reserved

Farmers protest 300% increase in irrigation water price

Photo: БНР - Шумен

Raspberry and strawberry growers took to protest near the village of Trapishte, Razgrad district, northeastern Bulgaria. For about an hour they blocked the main road Razgrad - Targovishte. The reason for their dissatisfaction is the drastic increase in the price of irrigation water announced by the state-owned company Irrigation Systems
Irrigation water for the 2023 season is more than 300% more expensive. "We don't want free water, we don't want gifts from the state, we want to pay for everything, but within reasonable limits. This is a drastic increase," Bozhidar Petkov, chairman of the Bulgarian Association of Raspberry Growers, told BNR. 
He explained that with this increase in the price of water, raspberries and strawberries will become unsellable. A week ago, Deputy Agriculture Minister Todor Dzhikov told BNR that the state would cover the price difference between this year and 2022. According to Petkov, however, the situation remains unchanged.
The state cannot immediately provide funds to compensate fruit and vegetable growers for the drastic increase in the price of irrigation water, as it needs approval from Brussels, Minister Yavor Gechev said.



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Greece reinforces police at Promakhon checkpoint on border with Bulgaria to speed up border crossing

Authorities in Greece will deploy more police officers at the Promakhon checkpoint on the border with Bulgaria to speed up the processing of documents for people and vehicles crossing the border, reports BNR's correspondent in Greece, Katya Peeva...

published on 11/22/24 6:09 PM
Hungarian Minister of Interior Sandor Pinter

Romania and Bulgaria have a chance to join Schengen by land as of January 2025

Romania and Bulgaria have a chance to join the Schengen area by land as  of January 2025 , Hungarian Interior Minister Sándor Pinter said after an informal meeting in Budapest of the interior ministers of Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania and Austria ...

published on 11/22/24 4:37 PM

Sofia Christmas festival will kick off tonight in front of National Palace of Culture

The Sofia Christmas Festival will open tonight in the park in front of the National Palace of Culture in the heart of Sofia . The third edition of the festival starts at 6.30 pm with a rich program and attractions - а Ferris wheel, a carousel and..

published on 11/22/24 4:24 PM