Agriculture

Türkiye has decided to enforce a 130 percent tariff on some grain imports, including wheat, corn and barley, to protect local producers, with the decision stipulated to take effect from May 1 onward.

The ban on the import into Bulgaria of certain goods from Ukraine comes into force. The introduced restrictions affect the import of wheat, honey, dairy and meat products, alcohol and several other basic food products. The goal is to support Bulgarian farmers.

One of Slovenia's premier wine-growing regions, the Vipava Valley has a vine grafting tradition going back almost 120 years. Today, their grafted vines are sold world-wide, the lion's share to France, the world's leading wine-producing country.

On July 22, 2022, the UN and Turkey signed an agreement to open a safe maritime humanitarian corridor in the Black Sea. Through the Black Sea Grain Initiative, around 800 ships filled with grain and other food products have left three Ukrainian ports.

Nearly 642 thousand tons of Ukrainian grain have been imported from Ukraine to Bulgaria since the beginning of the Black Sea grain initiative from the end of July last year to the end of March this year. This is indicated by the data of the "Customs" Agency, provided to the National Radio under the Law on Access to Public Information.

Grain producers and other agricultural producers once again organized a protest near the "Danube Bridge" checkpoint near Ruse and blocked the traffic in the area of the border crossing with agricultural machines, reports BTA.

The heads of state and government of Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia sent a letter to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, in which they call for a review of measures to counteract the negative effects of increased imports of agricultural products from Ukraine in these countries, reported the press office of the Bulgarian president.

30% of beekeepers in Bulgaria are at a crossroads whether to stop working. The industry is collapsing, citing the unrealized output from last year as the main reason. Bulgarian producers have not been able to sell 50% of the produced honey, due to competing imports from Ukraine. Because of this, Bulgarian beekeepers have lost important markets abroad.

The protest of grain producers in Bulgaria continues. "Danube Bridge 2" near Vidin is expected to be blocked today.

Grain producers are protesting against the import of grain from Ukraine. Yesterday, representatives of the National Association of Grain Producers blocked the four border points on our border with Romania.

The deadly earthquakes that hit Türkiye's south on Feb. 6 also had a significant impact on agriculture, amounting to a total financial loss of 24 billion Turkish Liras ($1.3 billion), according to a report by the Presidential Strategy and Budget Directorate.