The record low level of the Danube River in the Northwest stopped shipping and left tons of agricultural production unsold.
"Over 90% of the grain produced this year remains in the warehouses of agricultural holdings, and besides in the warehouses, somewhere in the open areas just to be collected and stored", commented the chairman of the Vidin Union of Grain Producers Zhechko Andreynski on NOVA.
The grain located in the warehouses of producers in Vidin is still there and cannot be loaded onto ships. The farmer from the village of Ruptsi Nikolay Naydenov has about 1,800 tons of wheat in stock. "I have sold about 500 tons, but it cannot be transported from the warehouses and we are currently having difficulties harvesting the next harvest", explained Naydenov.
The lack of free space creates a serious problem, as the new harvest of spring crops is about to be harvested. "This means sunflower, corn, there is nowhere to store it", added the farmer. This situation will force producers to sell sunflower and corn directly from the field at prices that will not be current and will be much lower. Their other option is to find warehouses for rent where they can store the goods, hoping that the price will increase slightly in the fall and spring.
According to Andreynski, currently the only alternative for transporting the goods is loading wagons and motor transport. "The price of road transport is between 40 and 50 euros per ton taken to the Bulgarian Black Sea coast", he pointed out. Train compositions are a cheaper option, but over the past 30 years the tradition of transporting grain with them has died out, and almost all loading and unloading areas have been destroyed," explained the chairman of the Vidin Union of Grain Producers.
According to Naydenov, sales via river transport to Constanta or Burgas are more profitable for farmers. "The price negotiated for agricultural producers for the agricultural produce sold is higher by at least 20-30 euros per ton," calculated Andreynski, describing the advantages of trade via the Danube River.
Agricultural producers from the region expect the state to help them. One idea is for it to take over part of the transport of the produce to the traders by sea. Another proposal is to pay the subsidies in a timely manner, in a single payment, so that the producers can buy seeds and fertilizers at lower prices.