Farmers in Romania and Bulgaria staged protests Friday against the European Union’s decision to exempt agricultural products from Ukraine from duties, which ended up oversaturating local markets and contributing to lower prices, the Associated Press (AP) reported Friday.
“Farmers in Romania and Bulgaria staged protests Friday over the European Union’s stance on excessive supplies of Ukrainian agricultural products that have flooded local markets and weakened prices,” AP reported.
Protests took place in Bucharest and other Romanian cities. In Bulgaria, farmers blocked several border points.
“The new harvest is less than three months away and there is a danger that produce cannot be sold above the production price,” AP quoted Liliana Peron, executive director of the Romanian Farmers’ Association, as saying.
Polish farmers have also protested in recent weeks over duty-free supplies of Ukrainian grain to European markets adopted by the EU, forcing the country’s Agriculture Minister Henrik Kowalczyk to resign.
Last year, the EU abolished customs tariffs for Ukraine for freer grain shipments.
On Monday, the European Commission said it wanted to help the Ukrainian population by organizing the export of Ukrainian grain, but it is making sure that the EU market is not hit too hard by Kiev’s support measures.
Farmers held several protests on roads in various regions of Ukraine on Monday, the police ensured public order and prevented blocking of traffic on roads, the National Police told Interfax-Ukraine.
“Farmers are staging protests. They are not numerous so far. The police are protecting public order and preventing blocking of traffic on roads,” the police said and added that law enforcers explained the protesters that blocking of traffic on roads was illegal.
The National Police added that traffic on roads was only constrained and in general the situation was peaceful.
As reported, protesters blocked the Kyiv-Chop road near the Mali Pidlisky village, Lviv region. Around 100 farmers continuously walked the pedestrian crossing in protest against the government’s intention to cancel a moratorium on sale of farming land. The protesters let vehicles with children pass, however a significant traffic jam appeared on the road.
Earlier, the All-Ukrainian Agrarian Council, which organized the protest, reported that it was planning to stage protests on M05 road near Zhashkiv and E95 road near Uman (Cherkasy region), M19 road in Chortkiv district (Ternopil region), M12 road 10 kilometers to Novoarkhanhelsk (Kirovohrad region), and M14 belt road in Mykolaiv.
The council also said that it was planning to stage protests on E50 road in Prybuzke (Khmelnytsky region), the road near Pysarivka in Vinnytsky district, the road Makhnivka in Koziatynsky district, P36 highway in Shpukiv, Tulchynsky district (Vinnytsia region), M21 highway in Osykove, Berdychivsky district (Zhytomyr region), M05 and E95 highways in Demydove (Odesa region), M03 highway in Maryanivka, Velykobachahansky district, M03 road in Chutove (Poltava region), M19 and T0311 highways in Verbka, Volodymyro-Volynsky district (Volyn region), M06 road in Diadkovychi (Rivne region), H17 road in Mali Midlisky, Zhovkovsky district, Lviv region.
