Bulgarian Farmers Warn of 15% Price Pressure After “Care Basket” Launch

Bulgarian farmers have warned that suppliers to retail chains are pressuring them to cut purchase prices by 15% following the launch of the government’s “Care Basket” initiative, which promotes discounted basic food products. The program encourages stores to offer items from the basic consumer basket with voluntary discounts of 15% to 30%, with an emphasis on Bulgarian-made goods. However, agricultural groups say the policy is already having unintended consequences for producers. ...