Peach Growers Block Sliven-Stara Zagora Road, Demand Government Support

Peach growers blocked the Sliven-Stara Zagora road near Sliven for about 20 minutes on Monday, demanding urgent government action over high production costs and sales difficulties.

“We continue to operate at a loss. The cost of fertilizer, crop protection products, fuel and depreciation is so high that we end up effectively bankrupt. We are not asking for exorbitant prices. We want government support so that we can survive and continue working next year,” Fruit and Vegetable Branch Chamber – Sliven Chair Kosta Petrov told BTA.

Petrov said the sector needs liquidity and a complete overhaul of government policy. “We are at breaking point,” Petrov added, warning that without urgent support, a growing number of growers face bankruptcy.

Growers’ main demands include support for producer cooperatives and facilities for sorting, packaging and cooling fruit. Petrov said the lack of such infrastructure makes it difficult to sell Bulgarian produce abroad or gain access to major retail chains.

“We cannot export or gain access to retail chains because we have no facilities and nowhere to prepare the produce,” Petrov said. Petrov cited cooperatives in Italy, Spain and Greece, created with government backing, as a successful model.

Growers also called for the reinstatement of investment programmes for agricultural infrastructure, including packaging materials and containers, cold-storage facilities and machinery to protect crops from frost and hail.

“Right now, we pack the peaches here in this field. This is where we load them. Who will buy our produce?” grower Apostol Evtimov said.

Evtimov said Hungarian buyers recently arrived with two lorries but were surprised by the conditions under which Bulgarian growers prepare their produce. Evtimov said the lack of suitable infrastructure puts local farmers at a disadvantage compared with producers in other European countries.

Growers said bringing quality produce to market requires not only good growing conditions but also the full range of post-harvest infrastructure: sorting, packaging, cooling, certification and transport.

Sliven Mayor Stefan Radev, who met sector representatives last week, also attended the protest. Radev said he was committed to addressing the growers’ concerns and ready to support them within local government powers. Radev also undertook to speak with government representatives if necessary so that the specific problems facing Sliven growers could be raised at national level.

Sliven Regional Governor Mihail Kasherov also met the growers, voiced institutional support and proposed direct meetings between farmers and national retail chains to negotiate supplies for next year, along with measures to encourage growers to join forces and improve their market resilience and competitiveness.

This year’s record harvest severely strained intake operations at the Frukto-Sliven cannery and caused tension among growers.

The protest will continue outside the wholesale market in Sliven, where growers will meet MPs from the region. The growers are expected to present specific demands for financial support and changes in government policy towards the sector.

/KT/