Poland will close its borders to Ukrainian grain if the European Commission does not extend its restrictions on its export to Poland after September 15, and a number of other countries neighboring Ukraine will do the same, Polish Agriculture Minister Robert Telus said in an interview with Polska Agencja Prasowa (PAP).
Article continues below
"Even if the European Commission decides not to do that, we'll close our border to Ukrainian products after September 15. I suppose some of the five neighboring countries will do the same. This is not against someone but out of care for farmers' wellbeing," the Polish Agriculture Ministry quoted Telus as saying on its social account.
"We want to help and we're helping Ukraine, but our priority is the wellbeing of Polish farmers," he said.
As reported, Telus and Ukrainian Agricultural Policy and Food Minister Nikolai Solsky reviewed the volume of Ukrainian agricultural produce transit via Poland at negotiations on August 2.
According to Poland's information, Ukrainian grain transit via Polish territory grew from 114,000 tonnes in February 2023 to 260,000 tonnes in June 2023, which Poland views as a reason for the European Commission to extend the ban on exports of Ukrainian wheat, rapeseed, corn, and sunflower seeds to Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, Slovakia, and Romania.
Telus proposed measures facilitating the transit of Ukrainian grain to seaports of various EU countries, and Ukraine is also supposed to present detailed drafts of decisions in the near future.
Ukraine has exported most of its grain and other agricultural produce via its Black Sea ports for years. However, the special military operation in Ukraine has dramatically restricted the operations of the ports, and Ukraine reoriented its export flows toward Europe.
Large amounts of Ukrainian agricultural produce started flooding EU countries neighboring Ukraine, which triggered discontent of local farmers.
The situation particularly affected the agricultural sector in Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Slovakia, and Romania.
Addressing the problem, the EU imposed a ban on exports of wheat, barley, rapeseed, and sunflower seeds to those countries until September 15, while transit shipments of these crops via their territories are permitted. ■
Predominant upper-level ridging stretching from the Southwest to the southern High Plains will allow for another day of record-breaking heat across parts of Nevada and Arizona today.