The crisis erupted on Saturday, April 15, when Poland and Hungary decided to ban imports of grain and other agricultural products from Ukraine until June 30.
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“Today (Saturday) the government decided to ban the entry and import of cereals into Poland, as well as dozens of other agro-food products.”said ruling party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski in the village of Liss in northern Poland.
sequel after announcement
The Polish ban applies to cereals, sugar, meat, fruits, vegetables, milk, eggs and other food products. For Hungary, this concerns cereals, oilseeds, and many other agricultural products. Why such a decision?
The goal: to protect their farmers
Ukrainian grain destined for foreign countries passes through the European Union since the traditional export route through the Black Sea was blocked by the Russian invasion. But due to logistical problems, grain stocks are piling up in Poland, causing domestic prices to drop, which also leads to protests by farmers and the resignation of the Polish Minister of Agriculture.
The goal, then: to protect their farmers. Unlike that, “This would lead to a serious crisis in the agricultural sector in Poland”Jaroslav Kaczynski explained.
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Budapest, for its part, said in a statement that this “The government expects a permanent solution and the adoption of measures by the European Union.”Emphasizing the need for defense interests of the Hungarian agricultural community.. For Jaroslav Kaczynski, these decisions are important for the Polish agricultural sector, but do not affect Polish-Ukrainian relations. We remain, without the slightest change, friends and allies of Ukraine. Announce
sequel after announcement
The Ukrainian Ministry of Agrarian Policy has “sorry” Saturday Resolution Warsaw. “Polish farmers are in a difficult situation, but Ukrainian farmers are in the most dangerous situation”commented.
Slovakia follows suit
After these decisions, Slovakia also issued a decree banning the import of grain and other food products from Ukraine.
Today, the government approved a proposal to ban the import of certain agricultural products and foodstuffs from Ukraine.Agriculture Minister Samuel Falkan told reporters.
This ban is set to take effect on Wednesday and aims to support the Slovak agricultural sector but also to protect the health of consumers. Indeed, last week the Ministry of Agriculture indicated that after analyzing a sample of grain from Ukraine, “The presence of an unauthorized pesticide in the European Union that has a negative impact on human health” been detected.
sequel after announcement
But the Slovak Minister of Agriculture, Samuel Vulkan, clarified that the ban does not apply to Ukrainian products that pass through Slovakia to third countries.
Towards a way out of the crisis?
On Monday, the European Union condemned the measure “unacceptable” And he said ” It is considered “ A second aid package for farmers in the affected countries. It is important to stress that trade policy is the exclusive competence of the EU and that unilateral measures are unacceptable.insisted a spokeswoman for the European CEO, Miriam GarcÃa Ferrer.
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In these difficult times, it is necessary to coordinate and harmonize all decisions within the European Union.she added.
In the process, Ukraine and Poland began discussions to reach an agreement and break the deadlock. We report that negotiations between Ukraine and Poland on the export and transit of Ukrainian agricultural production to and through Poland are still ongoing and will continue on April 18.Ukraine’s Ministry of Agrarian Policy spokeswoman Tetyana Lobova told AFP Monday afternoon.
