By KYIV. June 6 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The Ukrainian Agribusiness Club (UAC) considers the continuation of restrictive measures on the import of wheat, corn, rapeseeds and sunflower from Ukraine to Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria to be discriminatory and unreasonable and insists on the cancellation of this decision.
“The UAC categorically does not support the continuation of restrictive measures on the import of wheat, corn, rapeseed and sunflower seeds from Ukraine to Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria, since such actions are discriminatory and unreasonable in relation to Ukrainian agricultural products, and can negatively affect the economic recovery of Ukrainian farmers during the war,” the association said.
“Relevant decisions should be made only after detailed studies and consultations with all EU member states, since according to the latest data, some neighboring EU member states, in particular Poland, have been able to increase their export potential by importing cheaper Ukrainian agricultural products and internal processing, improved positions in the field of animal husbandry and finished products,” it said.
“In addition, the situation is complicated by the sabotage of the “grain initiative” by Russia. According to preliminary forecasts, the current steps to ban the import of Ukrainian agricultural products to the EU may deepen the blackmailing of Russians over the operation of the “grain corridor”,” the report says.
“When making decisions on extending restrictions, one should also take into account the fact that this year Ukraine will have a smaller export potential: a decrease by a third in the volume of grain and oilseeds exports from Ukraine to 46 million tonnes per year is predicted,” according to the document.
“The UAC is convinced that the existing trade restrictions on Ukrainian agricultural products in five EU countries should be lifted. At the same time, it is worth holding an open constructive dialogue between representatives of the Ukrainian and European agricultural communities in order to find compromise solutions that will help both the EU and Ukraine become stronger,” it says.
