Poland introduced a temporary ban on the import of Ukrainian grain

The Government of Poland decided to introduce a temporary ban on the import of grain and a number of other food products from Ukraine. This is reported on the website of the Cabinet of Ministers of the country.

According to the resolution which published Minister of Development and Technology Valdemar Buda, the ban will be in effect until June 30, 2023. The list of prohibited goods includes grain, sugar, dry fodder, seeds, hops, flax and hemp, fruits and vegetables, wine, beef and veal, poultry, milk and dairy products, eggs and beekeeping products.

The chairman of the ruling “Law and Justice” party, Yaroslav Kaczyński, said that Poland remains an unchanging friend and ally of Ukraine and will continue to fully support it, but the task of the leadership of each state is primarily to protect the interests of its citizens. Kaczynski also said that the Ukrainian side has already been notified of the Polish government’s decision.

Earlier, the Ministers of Agriculture of Poland and Ukraine, Robert Telus and Mykola Solsky, held a meeting where they discussed control over the export of grain from Ukraine to Poland. It was reported that Ukraine is ready to reduce and even temporarily completely stop the export of its grain to Poland, while the transit of some production through the country will remain possible.

The Ministry of Agrarian Policy of Ukraine expressed regret over the decision of the Polish government. The statement states that the ban extends, including, to the transit of production through the country. The department also noted that the decisions of the Polish side contradict the agreements that the parties reached earlier.

“We understand that the Polish farmers have a difficult situation, but we emphasize that the Ukrainian farmers are in the most difficult situation right now. It is on the territory of Ukraine that the war is going on, it is the Ukrainian farmers who are suffering colossal losses from Russia’s war against Ukraine, and it is the Ukrainian farmers who are dying on their own fields from Russian mines. At the same time, Ukrainian agricultural producers understand the needs of their Polish colleagues, hope for mutual understanding and expect a constructive dialogue to make an agreed decision,” the ministry said in a statement.

• In May 2022, the European Union temporarily canceled import duties and quotas on the import of products from Ukraine as a measure to support the economy of the warring country. Initially, it was assumed that the main part of Ukrainian grain exports through Poland and other bordering countries would be sent to further consumers, including countries in Asia and Africa. However, in fact, a large amount of Ukrainian production settled in Poland, as well as Hungary and Romania.
• The influx of cheap Ukrainian production due to the absence of duties led to the fact that the competitiveness of local production decreased. This caused dissatisfaction among farmers of countries bordering Ukraine, including Poland.