Farmers in Romania and Bulgaria protest grain imports from Ukraine

(Patria) - Farmers in Romania and Bulgaria held protests on Friday to express their anger over the European Union's response to the oversupply of agricultural products from Ukraine, which they say are flooding local markets and driving down prices, AP reported.

About 100 farmers gathered in Romania's capital, Bucharest, while hundreds more protested across the country in long tractor convoys. In neighboring Bulgaria, grain producers blocked some border crossings with agricultural vehicles. Some farmers in front of the European Commission representation in Bucharest waved banners that read, "Do not punish our solidarity," while others called on the bloc's officials to "take responsibility, take measures, take care.".

The EU last year lifted tariffs and import quotas on Ukrainian agricultural products as a way to facilitate transport to third-country markets. Ukraine is one of the world's largest producers of grain and sunflower oil, but its exports have been limited by Russia's blockade of its Black Sea ports, threatening global food security. Russia has warned that it could withdraw from the agreement that has unblocked the ports since last July.
However, farmers in Romania, Bulgaria, Poland, and other EU countries have been disproportionately affected by the influx of cheap Ukrainian products, as grain remaining on local markets drives down prices.

Polish farmers have also held protests in recent weeks. Polish Agriculture Minister Henryk Kowalczyk resigned on Wednesday after farmer anger. Brussels pledged last month to help grain producers in Romania, Bulgaria, and Poland with a total compensation package of 56.3 million euros, of which 16.7 million for Bulgaria; almost 30 million for Poland and 10 million for Romania. Farmers and national governments said the money was not enough.

"If today's protest is not heard in Brussels, we will consider larger actions involving other countries that share the same opinion," said Iliya Prodanov, head of the association of grain producers in Bulgaria. He added that there are currently 3.5 million tons of Bulgarian wheat and one million tons of Bulgarian sunflower in local warehouses.