The Bulgarian Agrarian Chamber will not accept the government-proposed methodology of assistance, as it aims to delay the aid, Ilia Prodanov, chair of the National Association of Gain Producers told the BNR. In his words, the cabinet’s proposals are not acceptable to any farmer.  

• Farmers' protests block the entire country

Ilia Prodanov also made a comment on PM Nikolai Denkov’s words that grain producers have declared profits of 3 billion Leva (EUR 1.5 billion) for last year: “There is no way we could have registered a profit, tax closure starts on 1 March.”

According to grain producers, calculations by the sector show major losses, that is why they are demanding aid for all. The Bulgarian Agrarian Chamber has launched protests throughout the country.

“The farmers’ protests, which started with two-hour roadblocks of key thoroughfares, will be expanded and next week could reach Sofia,” Kostadin Kostadinov from the Bulgarian Agrarian chamber said for the BNR. In his words, there are no indications from the cabinet on the farmers’ principal demands – payment of the so-called Ukrainian aid for the sectors affected most and assistance outside the current methodology based on tax returns.