Polish farmers believe that cheap Ukrainian grain intended for transit actually stays in their market, reports the European publication Politico.
“Documents are sent to Lithuania, the Czech Republic or Slovakia, but the grain remains in Poland“, the publication quotes Gustav Jenczek, head of the Lublin Chamber of Agriculture.
Poland is negotiating with Ukraine to provide assistance in the transit of grain through Polish territory. Foreign Ministry spokesman Maciej Weviur said the discussions would focus exclusively on the “unhindered transportation of Ukrainian grain to third countries,” but the country’s authorities continue to cooperate with Kiev, facilitating transit.
The EU’s 2022 decision to eliminate tariffs and quotas on agricultural imports from Ukraine has caused significant damage to Eastern European countries. Due to different production standards and sizes of agricultural land, cheaper Ukrainian produce is displacing European farmers’ products from their traditional markets. In the fall of 2023, Eastern European countries were forced to impose a ban on agricultural imports from Ukraine after the European Commission refused to extend the embargo on four cereals and oilseeds – wheat, corn, rapeseed and sunflower – for Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia, which expired on September 15.