The crisis erupted on Saturday April 15 when Poland and Hungary decided to ban imports of cereals and other agricultural products from Ukraine until June 30.
“Today (Saturday), the government decided to ban the entry, imports of cereals into Poland as well as dozens of other agri-food products”ruling party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski said in the village of Lyse in northern Poland.
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The Polish ban takes effect on cereals, sugar, meat, fruits and vegetables, milk, eggs, and other food products. For Hungary, this concerns cereals, oilseeds, and several other agricultural products. Why such a decision ?
The goal: to protect their own farmers
Ukrainian cereals destined for foreign countries transit through the European Union since the traditional export route via the Black Sea was blocked by the Russian invasion. But, due to logistical problems, grain stocks are piling up in Poland, driving down local prices, which has also led to protests by farmers and the resignation of Poland’s agriculture minister.
The goal therefore: to protect their own farmers. Otherwise, “this would lead to a serious crisis in the agricultural sector in Poland”explained Jaroslaw Kaczynski.
In a statement, Budapest said for its part that “the government expects a permanent solution and the adoption of measures by the EU”emphasizing the need to defend “the interests of the Hungarian agricultural community”. For Jaroslaw 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,” he declares
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The Ukrainian Ministry of Agricultural Policy has “regretted” Saturday the decision of Warsaw. “Polish farmers face a difficult situation but Ukrainian farmers face the most serious situation”he commented.
Slovakia follows suit
Following these decisions, Slovakia also decreed a ban on the import of cereals 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 Vlcan told reporters.
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This ban is due to come into force 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 cereals from Ukraine, “the presence of a pesticide, which is not authorized in the EU and has a negative impact on human health” had been detected.
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The Slovak Minister of Agriculture, Samuel Vlcan, however, specified that the ban did not apply to Ukrainian products transiting through Slovakia to third countries.
Towards a way out of the crisis?
On Monday, the European Union denounced a measure “unacceptable” and say ” consider “ a second aid package for farmers in affected countries. “It is important to underline that trade policy is an exclusive competence of the EU and that unilateral actions are not acceptable”insisted the spokesperson for the European executive, Miriam Garcia Ferrer.
“In these difficult times, it is crucial to coordinate and align all decisions within the EU”she added.
In the process, Ukraine and Poland began discussions to reach an agreement and break the impasse. “We inform that negotiations between Ukraine and Poland regarding the export and transit of Ukrainian agricultural production to and through Poland are still ongoing and will continue on April 18”Tetiana Loupova, spokeswoman for the Ukrainian Ministry of Agrarian Policy, told AFP on Monday afternoon.
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