site.btaVine Growers Protest Government's Disregard for Their Woes

Some 500 vine growers from across the country will be protesting Monday at the Agriculture Ministry in central Sofia against the disregard of the State for the woes in the sector. The National Association of Bulgarian Vine Growers (NABVG), which is organizing the rally, said the country's wine sector has been going through one of its worst periods in recent years.

The NABVG says that the ministry lacks policies and an overall vision for the survival and development of Bulgarian viticulture: work is being done piecemeal and the ultimate goal is to finish the year at a minimum loss.

The NABVG adds that the existing Wine and Spirit Drinks Act has not been coordinated with the European Commission, which is mandatory, as it contains technical regulations. In addition, it does not meet the needs of the industry, and there are no adopted regulations for its implementation.

The association identifies as other important problems the lack of protection by the state of domestic grapes during harvest from subsidized imports, and the continued reluctance of the Ministry of Agriculture to make viticulture a priority sector.

The NABVG points out that Bulgaria is last in the EU in subsidizing viticulture with EUR 13.50 per acre per year, while in other member states subsidies reach EUR 200-300, which puts Bulgarian vine growers at a great disadvantage.