Bulgaria Might Ban Ukrainian Grain Imports
A dump track unloads grain in a granary in the village of Zghurivka, Ukraine, Aug. 9, 2022.
InternationalIndiaAfricaMOSCOW (Sputnik) – Bulgaria is mulling the possibility of introducing a temporary ban on grain imports from Ukraine, following the lead of Poland and Hungary, Bulgarian Agriculture Minister Yavor Gechev said on Sunday.
"Bulgarian interests must be safeguarded, particularly when two of the countries react in this way. If we do not react in a similar manner, the accumulation [of Ukrainian grain] on Bulgarian territory may become even bigger," Gechev was quoted as saying by a Bulgarian news agency.
On Saturday, Poland and Hungary said they were banning imports of Ukrainian agricultural products until June 30, citing the need to protect domestic farmers from the uncontrolled influx of cheap grain from Ukraine. 
EconomyBulgarian Farmers Resume Protests Over Cheap Ukrainian Grain7 April, 10:53 GMTOn Monday, Gechev is expected to receive reports on the legal grounds for the bans enacted in other countries. The following day, the agriculture minister is reportedly slated to discuss the situation with Bulgarian President Rumen Radev. In late March, prime ministers of Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia published a joint open letter to President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, calling for measures to counteract the negative effects of the increased Ukrainian grain imports. Since early February, several Polish farmer organizations have been campaigning against the imported Ukrainian grain, primarily of poor quality, which was flooding the Polish market and damaging local production.
WorldInflux of Ukraine’s Cheap Grain to Europe ‘Fuels Anger, Erodes Support’ for Kiev Regime2 April, 12:52 GMT
