Bulgaria: Gendarmes in the Cherry Orchard

Source: Lyubov Ivanova

Every year Kyustendil - the cherry capital of Bulgaria - hosts colorful festivals. This year it takes place on the last weekend of June. Many tourists from all over the country and abroad come here to admire the regional folklore ensembles and taste various varieties of cherries, sweet cherries, and products made from them. What do local craftsmen not produce from the gifts of cherry orchards: jams and preserves, marmalades and tinctures, medicinal collections and cosmetics.However, few people think about what is behind this celebration of life.

Before the start of the harvest season, the local administration carries out serious preparations to protect the cherry orchards. The discussion of the necessary measures is attended by the Mayor of Kyustendil Ognyan Atanasov,the Governor of the region Alexander Pandurski, and producers and sellers of cherries. On the territory of the Kyustendil municipality, stone fruit plantations occupy about 20 thousand acres of land. Employees of the Regional Directorate of the Border Police and Gendarmerie are involved in the work on this territory. Routes are agreed with them in advance, both in the areas of the plantations themselves and at the points of sale of the harvest.

In addition to the functions of protecting agricultural production, the gendarmerie controls the rules for hiring workers to pick fruits, compliance with the work regime, and ensures the completion of work after 8 pm. A very important task of the control brigades is to check the plant protection products used by farmers. The legislation prohibits the use of such toxic substances as, for example, "Dimethoatom".

"There are people who use such drugs. After the cherries are sprayed, they are bought, the quarantine period is not observed, this product is sent to factories, and then returned to buyers. After several such cases are recorded, companies will be deprived of their licenses," - said Mayor Atanasov.

The specialized preventive operation will continue in Kyustendil until the end of the cherry harvest.