Authorities have seized over 19 tonnes of plant protection products and an estimated 28,000 litres of fertilizers and related materials from warehouses belonging to a large agricultural holding in Vardim, near Svishtov. The products were confiscated because they were either banned for use in Bulgaria, lacked required Bulgarian-language labeling, or had expired. Inspectors from the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency (BFSA) examined three storage facilities.
The Agency reported that only one warehouse was officially licensed for the wholesale storage of such goods; the other two were found to be unregulated. In the licensed facility, inspectors discovered 17.5 tonnes of banned fertilizers lacking proper labeling, alongside 530 litres of expired fertilizers. This site also contained 49 tonnes of sugar derived from sugar beet, which bore Ukrainian labels.
The unregulated warehouses yielded significant violations, including 10,380 litres and 1.875 tonnes of banned plant protection products without Bulgarian labeling, as well as 16,725 litres of expired substances. Furthermore, an additional 10 tonnes of sugar, stored in violation of safety regulations, were seized. The seized expired pesticides and fertilizers are slated for destruction, and all banned imported products will undergo further official inspection.
A final determination regarding the seized sugar has not been issued, but it is expected not to enter the retail market. These inspections are part of Operation SILVER AXE, a coordinated effort involving Europol and the European Anti-Fraud Office, aimed at curbing the illegal import and distribution of unregistered agricultural chemicals across the EU.
Topics: #tonnes #banned #fertilizers
