Ships to and from Bulgaria have not been turned away, and grain trade across the Black Sea is no cause for concern, farm minister Plamen Abrovski told reporters in Plovdiv.

"We have no data showing any problems. For now, the situation at the ports of Varna and Burgas is calm," he said.

Abrovski said that after talking to the head of the National Association of Grain Producers, he is sure the situation is calm. He said no emergency steps are needed for trade on the Black Sea.

Grape growers who struggle to sell their harvest already have a support package ready, Abrovski said. Grape buying has started around Haskovo and Svilengrad.

The minister said that with grapes, "it is all a matter of price, not demand". The state cannot interfere in prices because the economy is a market one, he said.

Abrovski will take part in a forum, "The Future of Bulgarian Agriculture – Policies, Competitiveness and Sustainability", part of the "Gifts of Thrace" agricultural fair in Plovdiv.