Bulgarian Grain Producers in Protest Readiness, Demand Meeting with PM

Bulgarian grain producers have announced a state of protest readiness and called for the resignation of Agriculture Minister, citing unfulfilled commitments to legislative reforms in the sector and the lack of policies for the rehabilitation and construction of irrigation systems. The National Association of Grain Producers is requesting a meeting with Prime Minister Rossen Zhelyazkov to address their concerns.

"After this meeting, if we don't get specific commitments, the tractors will be on the street," says Ilia Prodonov, who is chairman of the National Association of Grain Producers.

Prodanov stressed that the sector is operating in uncertainty, which is eroding its competitiveness.

“Our demands have been the same for the past several years. We always focus solely on legislative initiatives that the sector needs in order to stabilise. These include reforms in land relations, improvements in irrigation systems, the creation of a Cooperation Act and of a Law for Industry Organisations. In fact, the latter is one of the main reasons why many organisations that have publicly supported the minister are most concerned — it is precisely the Law for Industry Organisations that worries them,” said Iliya Prodanov, Chair of the National Association of Grain Producers.

"In addition to changes in the Water Act, we have identified in our declaration several issues related to irrigation systems, securing funds for the construction of the pumping station at the Sandstone Dam, which is critical and that should happen within the next week or two. We have a lot of irrigation problems mapped out there."

Prodanov said access to water in the active season is extremely limited for farmers.

“In addition to amendments to the Water Act, our declaration highlights several issues related to irrigation systems, including the urgent need to fund the construction of the pumping station at Piasachnik Reservoir, which is of critical importance and should be completed within the next one to two weeks. There are significant problems in irrigation that need to be addressed,” said Iliya Prodanov.

He also emphasised that farmers’ access to water during the active season is extremely limited:

“Access to water access is clearly not available everywhere. The problem is not only the availability of water itself. For example, regarding the Danube River, currently no water extraction permits have been issued to farmers, or in fact, only two permits exist, which is a major problem.”

The Chair of the National Association of Grain Producers highlighted that the number of farms in Bulgaria has declined by 37% over the past several years.

“This is alarming and perhaps the biggest challenge facing our country. We must ensure, first and foremost, that family farms do not disappear, and secondly, that local farms within communities, run by farmers who maintain social cohesion in villages, are preserved. The state should not allow this to happen, as it poses a risk not only to national security but also to food security,” he warned.

The sector is calling for long-term land lease agreements, both for rental and tenancy.

“Firstly, this would allow each farmer to plan investments in their holdings. While everyone claims that irrigation is a national priority — politicians and governments alike — it is impossible to invest in irrigation under one-year land use agreements. Such investments require at least 5 to 7 years to start yielding returns, which cannot happen with short-term contracts,” explained Iliya Prodanov.

He also stressed the need for a Cooperation Act:

“At present, it is completely impossible to establish cooperatives in Bulgaria, primarily because there is no legal framework for it, and the tax system is not adapted for such structures. Cooperatives represent the future, and this is how agriculture is developing across Europe. In Bulgaria, the number and proportion of farms cooperating in any form is minimal, whereas in Europe it exceeds 70%.”

Grain producers are awaiting a meeting with Prime Minister Rossen Zhelyazkov.

“In this meeting, we will ask him to take responsibility for ensuring that these laws are worked on and completed within specific deadlines. From this point forward, he is responsible for the Agriculture Minister. If he decides that the minister’s resignation is not on the agenda, then he carries responsibility for him. We hope to see these laws completed very soon,” said Iliya Prodanov, Chair of the National Association of Grain Producers.