Bulgarian Minister of Agriculture Georgi Tahov has submitted a request to the European Commission seeking permission to ban the import of eggs from Ukraine. He aims to protect the "rights" of Bulgarian producers.
This was reported by Bulgaria's Ministry of Agriculture and Food.
The minister justified the request by stating that the protective measures taken at the EU level so far have not had the desired deterrent effect and are insufficient to ease the situation in Bulgaria's egg market.
According to him, in the first six months of 2024, imports reached 2,618 tons, marking a fivefold increase year-on-year. The reported import prices are significantly lower than the prices of Bulgarian eggs, putting serious pressure on domestic market prices, he added.
"We firmly support the people of Ukraine, but this should in no way come at the cost of bankruptcies and the violation of our farmers' rights," he also stated.
The minister clarified that this concerns fresh chicken eggs, which, in addition to causing great tension, has led to the bankruptcy of poultry farms.
"As of today, we are regulating the market, but we want to halt egg imports for the time being. We have provided the EC with data on which they can base their decision," Tahov added.
