Authorities have seized a substantial amount of agricultural materials, including over 19 tonnes and more than 28,000 litres of plant protection products and fertilizers, from warehouses belonging to a major agricultural holding in Vardim, near Svishtov. The products were confiscated due to being banned for use in Bulgaria, lacking Bulgarian-language labeling, or having passed their expiration dates. Inspectors from the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency (BFSA) inspected three storage facilities.
The Agency noted that while one warehouse was officially licensed for the wholesale trade of such goods, the other two operated without proper authorization. In the licensed facility, inspectors discovered 17.5 tonnes and 510 litres of banned fertilizers lacking proper labels, alongside 530 litres of expired fertilizers. This site also held 49 tonnes of sugar beet sugar labeled in Ukrainian.
The two unregulated warehouses yielded significant contraband: 10,380 litres and 1.875 tonnes of banned plant protection products without Bulgarian labels, plus 16,725 litres of expired substances. Additionally, 10 tonnes of sugar, stored in violation of safety protocols, were seized. Authorities confirmed that expired pesticides and fertilizers will be destroyed, and all banned imported goods will face further regulatory inspection.
While a final decision on the seized sugar has not been issued, it is unlikely to enter the retail market. These inspections are part of Operation SILVER AXE, a coordinated effort aimed at curbing the illegal import and distribution of unregistered agricultural chemicals within the EU.
Topics: #tonnes #banned #fertilizers
This highlights a serious lapse in agricultural monitoring and safety standards.
What specific regulations led to the confiscation of the seized agricultural materials?