Bulgaria to temporarily ban agri-food imports from Ukraine
Bulgaria’s caretaker government said on Wednesday that it will adopt a decision to temporarily ban the imports of agricultural foods from Ukraine, excluding goods in transit.
The decision is being taken in response to serious difficulties arising for local agricultural producers as a result of the so-called solidarity corridors launched by the EU in aid of Ukraine’s economy following the Russian invasion, the government said in a statement.
Over the past year, Bulgaria has seen large volumes of grain and foods remain in the country, upsetting local production and supply chains, caretaker prime minister Galab Donev said, as quoted in the statement.
“If this trend persists, or grows stronger after the introduction of similar bans by other countries, there may be extremely serious consequences for Bulgarian businesses,” he added.
Farmers are seen harvesting wheat in Druzhkivka, Ukraine on 7 August, 2022.
Anadolu Agency | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
Earlier this week Slovakia became the third country after Poland and Hungary to ban grain and food import from Ukraine to protect local farmers. On Tuesday, Romania’s Social Democrat Party (PSD), a member of the governing coalition, too said it will ask the cabinet to suspend imports of agri-food products from Ukraine.
In March, the European Commission proposed total financial aid of 26.8 million euro ($29.4 million) to farmers in Bulgaria and Romania, in response to concerns about the negative effect on local markets stemming from high-volume imports of cheaper cereals and oilseeds from Ukraine.
— Reuters
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