Polish farmers protest against ‘uncontrolled’ Ukraine imports

WARSAW (AFP): Polish farmers on Wednesday put up nationwide road blockades to protest against Ukrainian farm imports which they said were undermining their revenues.

Poland has been a staunch Ukraine ally since Russia invaded nearly two years ago, but relations between the neighbours have been marred by economic disputes, including imports of Ukrainian grain.

Farmers launched over 160 road protests with tractors and farm machinery, blocking or slowing traffic as they beeped horns and waved Polish flags.

“We are opposed to uncontrolled imports of agriculture products from Ukraine,” Adrian Wawrzyniak, a spokesman for Farming Solidarity union, told AFP.

Speaking from a protest in Juszczyn, southwest Poland, he said around “140 tractors” blocked the traffic.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Wednesday he would aim to “sign a deal” with Ukraine regulating the transit and export of products, without providing details on the scope of any agreement.

Tusk said he wanted arrangements “so that the Polish market, Polish agricultural producers, Polish farmers are not threatened by an uncontrolled inflow of agricultural products from Ukraine.”

He added that the two sides will hold consultations in March.

Poland banned Ukrainian grain imports under the previous right wing government and maintained it despite a new pro-EU coalition coming to power in an October election.

The ban “will be maintained until accurate mechanisms are developed within the EU that will ensure the protection of our market”, the Polish agriculture ministry said last week.