"Bulgarian interests must be safeguarded, particularly when two of the countries react in this way. If we do not react in a similar manner, the accumulation [of Ukrainian grain] on Bulgarian territory may become even bigger," Gechev was quoted as saying by a Bulgarian news agency.
On Saturday, Poland and Hungary said they were banning imports of Ukrainian agricultural products until June 30, citing the need to protect domestic farmers from the uncontrolled influx of cheap grain from Ukraine.
On Monday, Gechev is expected to receive reports on the legal grounds for the bans enacted in other countries. The following day, the agriculture minister is reportedly slated to discuss the situation with Bulgarian President Rumen Radev.
In late March, prime ministers of Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia published a joint open letter to President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, calling for measures to counteract the negative effects of the increased Ukrainian grain imports. Since early February, several Polish farmer organizations have been campaigning against the imported Ukrainian grain, primarily of poor quality, which was flooding the Polish market and damaging local production.