Poland suspends grain imports from Ukraine, only transit will be possible

UkrAgroConsult

Polish Minister of Agriculture Robert Telus said after a meeting on April 7 with his Ukrainian counterpart Mykola Solsky that the Ukrainian side had proposed to temporarily suspend grain exports to Poland.

Telus said this during a briefing, RMF24 reports.

According to the minister, the parties decided to make this decision because it is not about the transit of Ukrainian grain through Poland, it is sold on the Polish market, which harms the domestic market.

“We are talking about the transportation of Ukrainian grain, which, instead of going to starving countries, is sold on our market. This leads to a sharp drop in purchase prices for Polish grain,” Telus added.

Solsky, in turn, said that Ukraine will refrain from exporting wheat, corn, rapeseed and sunflower to Poland until the new season.

The ministers will continue to be in contact to resolve the issue. During the next meeting, they plan to develop procedures for export restrictions and discuss the transit of grain from Ukraine through Poland.

“We are counting on the most constructive position of the Polish side on the transit of Ukrainian grain to Polish ports and to ports of other EU countries,” Solsky summarized.

As a reminder, a conflict between farmers and the government has arisen in Poland, as farmers have started protesting to demand a resolution of the situation with the supply of cheap Ukrainian grain, which has been driving down prices for their products.

On the eve of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to Poland, farmers threatened to disrupt the meeting. At the same time, following talks at various levels, the head of state said that the parties had found a way to resolve the issue of Ukrainian grain supplies to the European Union. But at the time, the president did not disclose any details. In turn, the Polish Ministry of Agriculture soon announced that it would fight speculation in the grain market.

Tags: Ukraine, grain, Poland, restrictions