Polish farmers scatter Ukrainian grain along borders
2 Min Read
Polish farmers emptied the trucks and scattered Ukrainian grain along the roads.
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Polish Farmers protest against the government's failure to address business losses. (@MeklerRafal, X)
Polish farmers on Sunday staged a protest near the border village of Dorohusk by spilling Ukrainian grain on the road, denouncing unchecked Ukrainian food imports.
One of the organizers of the protest and a member of the right-wing Confederation alliance, Rafal Mekler, posted photos on social media depicting grain scattered along a motorway in southeastern Poland.
"In Dorohusk, farmers spilled grain from trucks, and the trucks are returning to Ukraine," Mekler wrote.
Na Dorohusku z ciężarówek rolnicy wysypali zboże, ciężarówki wracajÄ… na UkrainÄ™. 💪 pic.twitter.com/3VCE8JJQW0
— RafaÅ‚ Mekler (@MeklerRafal) February 11, 2024
Rolnicy z Dorohuska uhonorowali Kołodziejczaka. pic.twitter.com/9uzC8mzp9W
— RafaÅ‚ Mekler (@MeklerRafal) February 11, 2024
Why is this happening?
In early November 2023, Polish truckers blockaded highways at checkpoints along the border with Ukraine to protest the Polish government's failure to address their business losses to foreign competitors.
The core of their grievance lies in the exemption granted to Ukrainian truckers from acquiring permits to cross the Polish border since February 2022, making their services more cost-effective and appealing to customers.
Moreovoer, farmers in neighboring countries have complained about product surpluses affecting domestic prices.
Read more: 2,000 Ukrainian trucks stranded due to Polish border blockade
In September 2023, Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary decided to impose their own restrictions on Ukrainian grain imports after the European Commission opted not to extend a ban affecting Ukraine's five EU neighbors.
So far, Poland has still not lifted the ban it imposed on Ukrainian grain imports, but has not yet felt any consequences despite having violated one of the basic principles of the EU's trade policy, according to Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita.
The report further stated that Kiev has still not withdrawn its claims with the WTO over Poland's ban on Ukrainian grain imports.
The European Commission proposed extending tariff-free entry for Ukrainian agricultural products for another year starting in June, but with a number of measures to protect Europe's own farmers.
The WTO case is still open, and the dispute remains unresolved, despite the European Commission's recent move, the report notes.
