Bulgaria’s sheep breeders will wait for one more week before transferring their flocks to Greece, Boiko Sinapov, head of the strike committee of sheep breeders from the eastern Rhodope Mountains, said.

The farmers had gathered near the Greek border and threatened to move their flocks to Greece, because the state had not paid subsidies since February 2008. On August 13, Agriculture and Food Minister Valeri Tsvetanov promised that payment of subsidies for March would start on August 14.

Some of the protesting sheep farmers had started withdrawing their flocks from approaching the border, but, according to Sinapov, they would easily return. “We have decided that our colleagues from the whole country will cross the border. We are not lying when we say that we’ll cross it,” he told Focus news agency.

“We managed to show the authorities that we exist. If they had thought that this sector was not leading, we showed them that. We showed them that we are numerous and have contacts in all parts of Bulgaria,” Sinapov said.

He hinted of a possible blockage of Shipka Pass in the Stara Planina range. “If it comes to a blockage of Shipka Pass, no animals would be used in the beginning – it would be an extreme measure, one that the farmers do not want.”