Poland and Hungary on Saturday banned imports of grain and other food from Ukraine to protect local farmers, officials from both countries said.
Ukraine’s grain exports have been transiting through the EU to other countries since the nation’s traditional Black Sea routes were blocked by Russia’s invasion.
However, because of logistical issues, the grain had been piling up and driving down prices, which led to protests from farmers and the resignation of Poland’s agriculture minister.
“Today the government decided on a regulation to ban the entry, imports of grain into Poland, as well as of dozens of other kinds of food,” said, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, leader of the governing Law and Justice party (PiS).
Otherwise “it would lead to a far-reaching crisis of Poland’s farming sector... We have to protect Polish agriculture,” he added.
Speaking at a PiS convention in the northern village of Lyse, Kaczynski said that Poland remains a staunch supporter of neighboring Ukraine.
“We remain, without even the slightest change, friends and allies of Ukraine,” he said.
In a similar announcement, Hungarian Minister of Agriculture Istvan Nagy wrote on Facebook that Hungary was banning imports of agricultural products from Ukraine.
Warsaw and Budapest said that their bans would last until June 30.
In Poland the ban would apply to imports of grain, sugar, meat, fruits and vegetables, milk, eggs and other food items.
A Hungarian agriculture ministry statement sent to the MTI news agency said that grain, oilseeds and several other agricultural products would be banned.
Responding to Poland’s announcement, the Ukrainian Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food said that it “regrets the decision.”
“Polish farmers are facing a difficult situation, but we emphasize that Ukrainian farmers are facing the most difficult situation” given the war, it said.
The Ukrainian ministry proposed for the two countries to come to a new agreement in the coming days that would satisfy both sides.
Polish government spokesman Piotr Muller told the PAP news agency that “we are open to other actions that could stabilize the situation.”
Budapest said in its statement that, during the ban period “the government expects a permanent solution and the adoption of EU measures.”
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