Bulgaria’s farmers are joining Europe-wide protests

SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — Hundreds of angry farmers took to the streets in Bulgaria’s capital to complain of what they call “the total failure” of the government to meet the mounting challenges in the agricultural sector. They called on Monday for the agriculture minister to step down for not keeping his promises to ease the administrative burden on the farming sector to seek state compensations for the high costs and falling incomes. Bulgarian farmers are frustrated with domineering European Union regulations and are protesting like their colleagues elsewhere in Europe. The hardships stem from the surge in fertilizer and energy costs because of Russia’s war in Ukraine, increasing imports of farm products that are flooding local markets and the undercutting of prices.