Europe: Bulgaria to Support Oriental Tobacco Growers: Minister

09/17/2012

"We will firmly support the producers of oriental tobacco and their means of living," Bulgarian Minister of Agriculture and Food Miroslav Naydenov said in an interview with FOCUS News Agency.

Minister Naydenov said he kept constant touch with representatives of the oriental tobacco producers. In his words, the tobacco growers are concerned about the possible restriction on this production in Europe. "Few days ago Macedonian capital Skopje hosted a meeting of the Balkan tobacco producers, at which the oriental tobacco growers expressed their protest on regional level and I hope that their voice will be heard by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the European Commission (EC), too," Naydenov remarked. "During the talks I held, the producers were explicit that they place trust in the Bulgarian state and the institutions, and believe that their interests would be protected, and that we will not allow these regions become depopulated. If these people are deprived of their means of life, of something they have been doing all their lives, these beautiful regions will be depopulated," the minister commented further. Enditem