Exports of agricultural products are suffering, they point out

The long wait at the border with Bulgaria for laboratory tests of the production hinders Turkey’s amount of fruits and vegetables to European countries, reports in “Hurriet Daily News”.

There have been problems since April, but in the last 10 days they have deepened, with trucks having to wait at least three to four days at the Kapule/Kapitan Andreevo border crossing, the publication states. Due to the payment, the Turkish amounts are required to pay the benefits to their clients in Europe, “Hurriet Daily News” also writes.

“The problems at the laboratory in Bulgaria first appeared in April, but were then resolved. However, they were resolved again in August and since then have continued and worsened,” said Yumit Raza Çavuşoğlu, head of the Western Mediterranean Quantities Association (WMQA). .

The truck parking lots on both the Bulgarian and Turkish sides are already full tips the long wait, he added.

According to Yumit Raza Çavuşoğlu, the main cause of the problem is the political situation in Bulgaria. “In the last 20 months, there have been five elections, but no government has been formed. In March, there can be another vote and if the legislation comes out of the election, the problems (at the border) can still be solved,” he said.

“We are losing customers. The companies are in a difficult situation and are facing fines,” announced the chairman of AIZS.

He reminded that while before the analysis of the products was carried out at the border, after that the samples began to be sent for inspection in Sofia.

Producers from the southern district of Antalya have been able to increase the amount by 10 percent, but now problems at the border are preventing exports from taking place, said Ali Bahar, head of the Antalya Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

“Such problems at the border have arisen sometimes in recent years, but the following intervention of the administrations is allowed, at least once it starts again. We need a permanent solution. The products of only 15-20 trucks are inspected per day. the problems we face,” Bahar further stated.