Because of the duty-free import from Ukraine, Bulgarian grain producers are unable to sell the grain they have just harvested, Rilka Ignatova said in a National Television report on Saturday.
Ignatova, who grows wheat, sunflower and maize on a 150 ha family farm near Ruse (North Central Bulgaria), said that the Ukrainian produce was supposed just to transit EU Member States en route to Africa, but Poland, Romania and Bulgaria waived import duties on the grain and it undercut the local competition.
"When the war [in Ukraine] began, the bread wheat price skyrocketed to BGN 460/tonne. Right then the State decided to replenish the stocks, paying over BGN 500/tonne, but this never happened. We get a subsidy of BGN 30/tonne, but our direct costs alone are BGN 342/tonne, excluding rent etc. The production cost of our wheat is BGN 480/tonne, which means that we should be selling it at BGN 800-850," Ignatova pointed out.
She explained that she and many other producers are just warehousing the wheat, but they must move it in about 40 days, which will push the costs further up.
/LG/
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