Bulgaria’s farmers join Europe-wide protests

Bulgarian farmers pour milk on burning hay during protests in Sofia (Valentina Petrova/AP)

Hundreds of angry farmers took to the streets of Bulgaria’s capital, Sofia, on Monday to complain about what they called “the total failure” of the government to meet the mounting challenges of the agricultural sector.

They called on agriculture minister Kiril Vatev to step down for not keeping his promises to ease the administrative burden on the farming sector, and to seek state compensation for high costs and falling incomes.