Grain from north-west Bulgaria could reach Black Sea ports on BDZ trains because the Danube is low. Prime minister Rumen Radev and grain growers discussed the idea, the government press office said.
Members of the National Association of Grain Producers met at the Council of Ministers building. Agriculture and food minister Plamen Abrovski and transport and communications minister Georgi Peev spoke with them.
Low water makes it hard for ships to sail on the Danube, so grain now goes to the ports by lorry. That costs growers extra and puts a strain on roads.
Peev said BDZ – Freight Transport has enough capacity to carry the grain to the Black Sea ports. He also told the growers about government plans to develop transport and build more efficient transport corridors, mainly running north to south.
Next year's budget includes money to digitise all dams, Abrovski said. He said this will let officials track water levels in real time.
The association called for keeping funding for Cohesion Policy and the Common Agricultural Policy in the EU's next long-term budget, which covers 2028 to 2034.
Radev said the government is doing all it can to make shipping in the Black Sea safer and to keep access to international markets open. He said the cabinet is working steadily to protect the national interest and ensure safe sailing.
A few days ago, the prime minister told reporters that claims of a halt to merchant shipping in the Black Sea were false. Ships heading for Varna and Burgas have not stopped and will not stop, he said, adding that there is currently no such risk to Bulgarian shipping.