Ukrainian railway company expands restrictions on shipment of agricultural products to Poland

MOSCOW. April 14 (Interfax) - The Ukrainian railway company Ukrzaliznytsia has imposed a convention ban on the shipment of cereal crops to Poland, Ukrainian media said quoting the company's statement on its website.

The temporary ban, which will be in effect starting April 15 until its cancelation, applies to cereals, oilseeds and oil-bearing fruits; other seeds, fruits and grains; medicinal plants and plants for technical purposes, straw and fodder, as well as food industry waste and ready-made animal feed.

The ban applies to shipments via the Izov-Hrubieszow border crossing, through which most of railway shipments between Ukraine and Poland are conducted.

This is not the first convention ban Ukrzaliznytsia has imposed on cargo shipments to Poland. Since April 13, it has banned shipments of cereals indicated as 233 in the shipment documents (agricultural products intended for feeding purposes) through the Izov-Hrubieszow crossing point.

In addition, convention restrictions on the transportation of goods to Poland's Szczecin Port Central station to the Polish railway operator PKP Cargo came into force on April 9. The restrictions apply to wheat and meslin, rye, barley, oats, corn, rice, grain sorghum, buckwheat, millet, cereals, dextrins and modified starches, and glue based on them.

There are 1,047 rail cars expecting to cross into Poland through the Izov-Hrubieszow checkpoint now.

Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria have seen demonstrations of agricultural producers protesting against an influx of grain from Ukraine, which Brussels has temporarily exempted from import duties.

Poland said last week that it would halt Ukrainian grain imports to ease their influence on local prices but would still allow grain transits via its territory. Slovakia has also announced a ban on imports of Ukrainian grain and its milling into flour.