The transit of grain and other agricultural products through Poland, which had been suspended by Warsaw for about a week, was officially resumed on Friday, April 21, and the government also announced substantial aid to farmers.
Why Poland, Hungary and Slovakia ban imports of Ukrainian grain
Poland and other EU countries bordering Ukraine have imposed temporary bans on imports of Ukrainian grain in the wake of farmers’ protests over the collapse in prices linked to their influx.
sequel after announcement
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.
Many foodstuffs, including sugar, meat, fruit and vegetables, were allowed to transit through Poland from 2 a.m., after government regulations came into force. However, Ukrainian exporters cannot sell these products on the Polish market.
“We assume checks will be very smooth, as of now there are no signs (showing) of queues forming”Bartosz Zbarachczuk, head of the Polish Customs Agency, told RMF24 radio on Friday.
The first convoy included five trucks transporting meat, eggs and corn to the Netherlands.
sequel after announcement
Four million tons of Ukrainian grain are stored
Poland on April 15 banned dozens of Ukrainian foodstuffs, mainly grain, in response to farmers’ protests. The decision was taken without consulting either Ukraine or the European Commission, drawing criticism in both Kiev and Brussels.
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Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, grain stocks have been building up in Poland, driving down domestic prices, which has led to protests and the resignation of the former Polish Minister of Agriculture.
About four million tons of Ukrainian grain is currently stored in Poland. Hungary, Slovakia and Bulgaria subsequently also imposed similar temporary bans.
GPS tracked and escorted caravans
On Tuesday, Warsaw and Kiev announced an agreement to allow passage through Poland, under strict control, in particular the installation of electronic seals equipped with GPS tracking devices on convoys that will also be escorted by Polish customs officers, for a week. The vehicle cannot transport such products “Out of our field of vision only when you enter a port (…) or when you leave the Polish border”Bartosz Zbarashuk said.
sequel after announcement
Meanwhile, farmers remain skeptical of the measures taken by the Polish government. “It will not solve the situation in our farms and warehouses” Because the Ukrainian grain sent to the Polish ports will be In competition with our productsto the press Wislaw Burzynski, of the Agricultural Chamber of the Region of Pomerania (North).
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In an effort to calm farmers’ anger, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki on Friday announced aid totaling ten billion zlotys (2.17 billion euros) from the state budget, which includes support for the sale of grain.
“We use our own resources from the Polish state budget but the agreement must come from the European Commission – so that a European official does not knock on a farmer’s door to demand this payment that we have made.”he added.
measurements on other products?
The populist government in Warsaw is slamming Brussels for its belated response to the influx of Ukrainian grain.
sequel after announcement
Also on Friday, the Polish, Romanian, Bulgarian, Slovak and Hungarian ministers of agriculture handed a letter to the European Commission requesting in particular that transit measures also apply to products other than grain, according to a press release from the Polish ministry.
The five countries also confirmed that this is not the case “I agree with the position that the burden of managing the increase in imports rests with a few EU member states.” He called for expediting the preparation of new aid for these countries.
