Leaders of five European Union members that help transit Ukrainian agricultural products to third-world countries on Friday called for EU action over the glut that stemmed from goods not leaving for their destinations, lowering prices in their markets and angering farmers.
Poland, Romania and other countries in the region have stepped in to help transit after Russia blocked traditional routes when it invaded Ukraine 13 months ago. The EU, which borders Ukraine, has waived customs duties and import quotas to facilitate transport, including via Romania and Bulgaria, to non-EU markets that relied on deliveries.
But farmers in transit countries say much of Ukraine’s produce, especially wheat, remains, flooding their markets and driving down prices as fertilizer and energy costs soar.
POLAND PROMISE RELIEF AS UKRAINIAN GRAIN MARKET INFLUENCES, LOWERING PRICES
In a letter on Friday to the European Commission and its leader, Ursula von der Leyen, the prime ministers of Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria said the channels intended to bring Ukrainian products to destination points are not working as planned .
They appealed to the EU’s executive arm to consider the bloc’s urgent purchase of 27 members of surplus production and provide funds for the rapid development of transport and storage infrastructure.
Five EU Member States from Eastern Europe have called on the Commission to address the oversaturation of Ukraine’s fruit and vegetable market and its economic ramifications. (Fox News)
They said there was especially an unprecedented influx of “wheat, oilseeds, eggs, poultry, sugar, apple juice, apples, berries, flour, honey and pasta.”
“We ask the Commission to analyze the possibility of buying surplus grain from member states (neighbouring Ukraine) for humanitarian reasons,” the prime ministers said in their letter.
PUTIN AGREE TO CONTINUE ALLOWING EXPORTS OF UKRAINIAN WHEAT, THREATENS RETALIATION FOR BREACH OF COMPLIANCE
“We also renew our call for financial support from the EU for the needs of faster development of transport infrastructure,” they said.
Their governments are facing pressure and protests from farmers concerned about falling prices and lack of storage for this year’s crops due to a glut of Ukrainian produce. Bulgarian farmers staged blockades at border crossings this week, while Poland’s agriculture minister pledged financial and infrastructure assistance on Wednesday, after hours of heated talks with farmers’ organizations.
Last week, Brussels offered a total of 56.3 million euros ($61 million) in compensation to affected farmers, of which Bulgaria is said to have received 16.7 million and Poland nearly 30 million, sums which protesters and governments deem insufficient.
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European Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski said EU and state aid now available to Polish farmers affected by the influx from Ukraine would exceed €210 million ($228 million), of which about 128 million euros from state coffers.
