Poland not demanding ban on Ukrainian farm produce transit, grain import embargo to stay in force
MOSCOW. April 4 (Interfax) - The Polish Agriculture Ministry has not asked the country's government to suspend the transit of Ukrainian agricultural products, but the embargo on the import of cereals, corn, rapeseed, sunflower, flour, bran, cake and meal from Ukraine will remain in effect, Ukrainian media said, citing the Polish Agriculture Ministry's website.
An agreement was signed in Jasionka following Agriculture Minister Czeslaw Siekierski's negotiations with representatives of the protesting farmers' association, the ministry said. Talks and consultations were subsequently held between the Polish and Ukrainian agriculture ministers and representatives of both sides' agricultural associations. A meeting between the two sides' governments took place on March 28.
"Since the Ukrainian side said that the transit of its farm produce via Poland will be minimal from April to June of this year, the Agriculture Ministry did not ask [the Polish government] to suspend the transit of agricultural products through Polish territory," the ministry said.
Meanwhile, the embargo on the import of cereals, corn, rapeseed, sunflower, flour, bran, cake and mean from Ukraine will remain in place, it said.
The agreements reached and formalized in a document between the Agriculture Ministry and representatives of the protesting farmers in Jasionka have largely been implemented. Poland also managed to persuade the European Commission to ease a large number of Green Deal provisions.
"The protesting farmers ought to recognize them as satisfactory," the ministry said.
Rules for providing assistance to Polish grain producers have also been drawn up, including a grain subsidy of 200 PLN per tonne and 300 PLN per tonne. The approval process is continuing.
In addition, work is ongoing to keep the agricultural tax at the 2023 level.
"In view of the aforesaid, one ought to acknowledge that the Agriculture Ministry fulfills the demands and agreements reached with the representatives of the protesting farmers," the ministry said.
