“We believe it is right to allow imports from Ukraine,” Bulgarian Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov said on Wednesday before the government meeting, reports the Bulgarian press agency BTA, quoted by Agerpres. Denkov added that the lifting of the embargo on the import of Ukrainian grain will lead to a decrease in the price of basic food products, which will benefit people with low incomes.

According to the Prime Minister of Bulgaria, the ban on the import of grain from Ukraine to some European countries is relevant. There are two points of view – grain producers who want the embargo to continue and accuse the government of “lack of any support for this sector from the state”. The second point of view, Denkov noted, is to ensure low prices for food and fodder, low inflation, increase budget revenues from imports and exports without stimulating inflation and supporting farmers.

“Resuming imports from Ukraine will reduce the prices of basic food products, reduce inflation, which will help people with low incomes and increase budget revenues from imports and exports,” said the Bulgarian Prime Minister.

According to Mykola Denkov, in 2023 the revenues lost by the budget from imports and exports amount to 146 million levs, money that could be used for education, health care, culture or support of the agricultural sector. These funds will ensure the operation of oil and biodiesel processing plants that operate on domestic and foreign markets.

“Therefore, we consider it correct to resume imports from Ukraine, because this year aid and subsidies worth two billion levs were paid to farmers,” said Denkov, who expressed surprise that “the sector, which received two billion levs a year, can claim that there is no support from the state.” Of the two billion levs, 890 million levs are from the EU State Agricultural Fund, 388 million levs are from the State Agricultural Fund of the state budget, which go to support farmers, another 390 million levs are from the central budget and 290 million levs are from the budget of the Ministry of Agriculture. “The accusations that the state does not care about the agricultural sector are untrue. It would be good if the agricultural sector also took care of the state, formulating its requests,” said the Bulgarian Prime Minister. [1 Leva = 0.51 Euro, n.r.]

Denkov wants to limit additions in the chain from the agricultural producer to the final consumer

Denkov also noted that since the beginning of September, the government has appealed to the European agricultural sector with a request to limit additions in the chain from the agricultural producer to the final consumer. The mechanism for restricting these applications is considered as a temporary measure to support producers and consumers, the Bulgarian Prime Minister said. According to him, the European Commission will be asked for new compensations for the losses of Bulgarian farmers, especially those who grow sunflowers.

“We will add grain export corridors from Ukraine as a transit route to ports in Bulgaria and Greece to export grain from the region to other regions that need it. We will seek support from the European Commission for this activity. We will strengthen phytosanitary control over imports to ensure the health of citizens. In this way, we will show ourselves as a responsible state that cares about the whole society, not just one industry,” said Prime Minister Mykola Denkov.

“The Minister of Agriculture and Food, Kyryll Vatyev, is in a difficult situation, as there is obviously a conflict of interests, which was very clear at his meetings, on the one hand with sunflower producers, and on the other, with oil producers, who had completely opposite demands. It is clear that there are different interests. It is very important that the decision that will be made takes into account the main priorities of the country and the government,” Mykola Denkov added at the press conference organized in the afternoon.

When asked by journalists if he is ready to meet with the main farmers, Denkov said that he is ready for negotiations with those who have real problems to find a solution. “Where there are specific problems, such as, for example, the problem of sunflower producers, it is necessary to find a solution, and not to make general decisions that affect many other areas of the economy,” – assessed the Prime Minister of Bulgaria.