We will limit grain imports from Ukraine, it destabilizes our market, Mateusz Morawiecki said, amid farmers’ protests
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki will send a letter to EC President Ursula von der Leyen urging her to take immediate steps to solve the problems of Polish farmers after the EU allowed imports of cheap grain from Ukraine, Euractiv reported.
Last year, the EU created “solidarity corridors” to facilitate grain exports from Ukraine. Huge flows of cheap Ukrainian grain went to Central European countries, affecting grain prices for local farmers, especially in Poland, Romania and Hungary.
“We will send a letter to Ursula von der Leyen, demanding the Commission to reduce the impact of Ukrainian grain on neighboring countries,” Morawiecki said at a press briefing on Wednesday.
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According to him, the country plans to introduce regulations limiting the import of Ukrainian grain:
“I have instructed Deputy Prime Minister Henryk Kowalczyk to introduce appropriate rules in the fastest way to get rid of the grain imported into Poland and limit the impact of Ukrainian grain on our farmers,” Morawiecki said.
“Now this grain is destabilizing our market,” he added.
Poland is ready to help Ukrainian grain reach Africa where it is most needed, Morawiecki said, insisting that Poland has never agreed to it entering the Polish market and destabilizing local sales.
Warsaw expects the Commission to “use all tools and procedures” to resolve the issue, he added.
Morawiecki’s announcement comes as a growing number of local farmers have protested en masse across the country, claiming the government deceived them last year by telling them wheat prices would rise.
Farmers are demanding the resignation of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Agriculture Henrik Kovalczyk. They even attacked the minister with eggs at one of the events in which the European Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski took part.
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