Greek farmers who have occupied border crossing points with Bulgaria for the fourth straight day have staunchly refused to give in to Greek government pressure and Bulgarian demands for them to clear out, Dnevnik daily reported on January 21 2010.

According to Ta Nea, Greek prosecutors have threatened action against the farmers, but that has not weathered farmers' enthusiasm and the traffic between Bulgaria and Greece is still severely obstructed.

Beyond the border, major roads in Greece remain blocked, while overnight the Koulata–Promahon border crossing was opened for 30 minutes, allowing only lorries with time-sensitive foodstuffs to pass through.

Central Greece, Thessalia, and the roads leading to the northern Greek port town of Kavala are also shut for traffic.

Bulgarian border police have said that the Greek farmers periodically open and then shut the border crossing points at Doiran–Evzoni in the region of Kilkis, Ormenion–Kapitan Petko Voivoda in the region of Evros and Exohi–Ilinden towards Drama.

Greek farmers demand assured subsidies, guaranteed retail pricing, reduction of production expenditures, and the freezing of their bank credits, Dnevnik was quoted as saying.

The internal Greek squabble however is causing the Bulgarian economy about three million leva every day. Exports are hurting, transport firm are feeling the pinch while tourist destinations in southwestern Bulgaria, the alpine town of Bansko in particular are reporting substantial financial losses.

Agriculture Minister Miroslav Naidenov said that Greece is Bulgaria's largest export market for agricultural produce. According to the National Statistics Institute, in January 2009 Bulgaria exported about 44 million leva worth of goods to Greece, followed by exports worth 37 and 22 million leva for Spain and Italy respectively.

The "embargo" on the Greek-Bulgarian border has hit Bansko, costing the resort about 480 000 euro a day.

The Bansko Tourist Association has sent a letter to Prime Minister Boiko Borissov and to Parliamentary speaker Tsetska Tsacheva, saying that "small and medium-sized tourist establishments in the town are facing widespread bankruptcies", Bulgarian media reported on January 20 2010.

Naidenov said on January 20 that a letter was sent to the European Commission along with his Romanian counterpart, Mihail Dumitru, in which they demand that the EC take immediate action against Greece because its farmers are violating the constitutional right to free movement across borders, both of businesses and civilians.