site.btaIndustry Associations Warn Producers May Bear Cost of "Care Basket" Initiative

The Fruit and Vegetable Branch Chamber and the Bulgarian Association of Greenhouse Producers said Tuesday there is a real risk that the burden of the "Care Basket" initiative will be shifted onto Bulgarian agricultural producers. In their official statement to Prime Minister Rumen Radev and Agriculture and Food Minister Plamen Abrovski, the industry associations noted that production costs in the sector have already risen significantly.

The organizations said that only one day after the initiative was announced, they received reports from Bulgarian producers that they were being pressured to cut their supply prices by exactly 15%. Producers were allegedly told that failure to accept the condition would result in the termination of purchases of their products.

"This is an extremely worrying signal, showing that once again the cost of such an initiative risks being borne by Bulgarian agricultural producers against the backdrop of continuously increasing production costs in the sector," the associations said in their letter.

The organizations expressed support for efforts to ensure more affordable prices for Bulgarian consumers, while at the same time raising concerns about reports from producers regarding pressure to lower the supply prices of Bulgarian produce.

The initiative was launched on Monday at the Council of Ministers. Eight major retail chains joined the programme, announcing that they would reduce the prices of products included in the basic consumer basket by at least 15% for a minimum period of six months.