Polish Agriculture Minister resigns amid Ukrainian wheat affair
Polish Agriculture Minister Henryk Kowalczyk in Warsaw on June 28, 2022. REUTERS - JAKUB STEZYCKI
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In Poland, Agriculture Minister Henryk Kowalczyk resigned on Wednesday 5 April. He accuses the European Commission of being responsible for the problems of Polish farmers. Grain markets in that country have been destabilized by the influx of Ukrainian agricultural imports. Faced with angry operators, Warsaw points the finger at Brussels. But Polish media point out that the minister in question has done nothing to prevent the current situation.
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Since the suspension last May of European tariffs on products imported from Ukraine, Poland has seen its grain prices fall. The fault lies in this oversupply of Ukrainian cereals half as expensive, insists Warsaw which, like other border countries, has nevertheless received European compensation for its losses.
However, according to experts, only 3 million tons of grain have been imported from Ukraine to Poland in order to transit to other markets, especially in Africa. This surplus is not the cause of the problem, but adds to a lot of mistakes made by the ministry, say the Polish media.
Polish ports have no place to store imported grain, and grain arrives on the territory without any control. A legal vacuum that benefits unscrupulous companies that have access to this cheap wheat and resell it without authorization.
Meanwhile, wheat, but also corn and other cereals continue to pile up in Polish silos. Raising the discontent of the agricultural world.
► Read also:
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- Poland
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