Peach growers in the Sliven region have protested over low purchase prices and difficulties selling their harvest, as the Bulgarian Chamber of Fruits and Vegetables warned that the problems facing the sector are systemic and could eventually affect consumer prices.
The protests come despite what producers describe as a strong harvest. Svetlana Ormanova of the chamber said some of the country's agricultural output is being left unsold because producers cannot find sufficient markets.
"We are starting the week with protests, but these are the latest cases. What is happening to Bulgarian producers is systemic," Ormanova told Nova TV. "We have a great harvest, but it cannot be sold and this cannot continue," she said.
The industry argues that the financial measures announced by Agriculture Minister Plamen Abrovski are not enough to address the immediate problems facing fruit and vegetable growers. Ormanova said farms in the sector have very little liquidity and need urgent financial support.
"The financial liquidity of the farm in the 'Fruit and Vegetable' sector is already so thin, so small that it is really necessary to immediately inject fresh resources," she said.
