Polish minister apologizes for Ukrainian grain dumped on the border: asks for understanding
Polish Minister of Agriculture Czeslaw Sekerski apologized to Ukraine for the spilled grain incident that occurred on February 11 and commented on the actions of Polish farmers.
His statement was published by the press service of the Polish ministry.
“We must admit that the situation is tense. Polish farmers threw some grain out of Ukrainian trucks. In my opinion, this is not the right form of protest, but it is often used by farmers in different countries. Farmers did not hold back their emotions, but it is worth remembering that they are in a very difficult economic situation. At the beginning of spring field work, they have no money to buy fertilizers and plant protection products. It’s hard not to understand their despair,” said Sekersky.
He noted that he is an advocate of dialogue and direct conversation as the best form of solving complex problems.
“On behalf of the Polish farmers, I apologize for this act of desperation and ask for understanding of their extremely difficult situation. We are conducting technical negotiations with the Ministry of Agriculture of Ukraine, during which we want to determine the terms of trade exchange that would limit the flow of goods that disrupt the stability of agri-food markets,” the Polish minister added.
At the same time, he called the reactions of Ukrainian politicians to the incident, in particular the mayor of Lviv, “too harsh.”
“I understand the resistance of the Ukrainian authorities to the difficulties in exporting agricultural products. I also realize that trade goes both ways, and we also export to Ukraine,” Sekerski said.
According to him, Polish farmers have been helping Ukraine and want to help.
“But they would like the Ukrainian budget to benefit from this aid and farmers to benefit, not oligarchs who have huge areas for growing grain and other agricultural products. They are mainly behind these large imports, which undermine the stabilization of agri-food markets in Europe,” added the Polish Minister of Agriculture.
At the end of his statement, Sekerski summarized that the solutions to the problems lie not only in Polish-Ukrainian relations, as the European Commission is responsible for the organization and rules of trade in the common European market.
Scandal with spilled grain at the border
On February 11, near the Yahodyn-Dorohusk checkpoint, unknown protesters damaged Ukrainian trucks and poured grain out of them. A video of the incident was posted on social media on February 11.
According to estimates, about a ton of grain poured out of each truck.
The Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine strongly condemned the deliberate destruction of Ukrainian grain by protesters, and Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi called such actions a lowliness and a disgrace.
Police in the Polish city of Chełm have launched an investigation into the incident.
