Agriculture ministers from Poland and several EU neighbors plan a unified approach to EU tariffs on agricultural imports
Poland’s Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Robert Telus, intends to collaborate with colleagues from the Czech Republic, Romania, Bulgaria, and Slovakia to petition the European Union starting in June for a thorough review of tariffs on agricultural imports. The move follows a discussion held in Rakołupy in the Lublin region about Ukraine’s agricultural exports and their impact on European markets.
In a meeting that included representatives of agricultural unions from Poland and its regional partners, the focus was on the state of internal agricultural markets amid the surge of Ukrainian exports and how that activity shapes pricing and supply across Europe.
Minister’s plan
Speaking at a briefing in Rakołupy, Telus stated that the burden of aid should not fall on a few neighboring countries alone, especially when others do not participate. He indicated that after the meeting he would urge his counterparts to press the EU for a comprehensive tariff review starting in June, with the aim of distributing aid evenly and sharing product allocations fairly among all member states.
According to a ministry post on social media, Telus planned to reach out to his colleagues on Wednesday to organize a meeting as soon as possible, potentially online, to demonstrate solidarity and mutual support. The objective is to feel one another’s backing in the process.
During the briefing, Telus noted that grain prices are suppressed across Europe, not only in nations adjacent to Ukraine. A contributing factor cited was the continued inflow of grain from Russia into the European market. A crisis ministers’ meeting was expected to convene on Tuesday to address the grain situation, with the goal that grain already held in Poland would move out of the market promptly.
Telus emphasized that the issue goes beyond stockpiling; it also concerns preparation for the upcoming season. When asked about the timeline for sending documents to the EU, he underscored the desire for a united stance among participating countries and indicated ongoing discussions if other partners could not commit for various reasons.
Regarding monitoring the transit of Ukrainian grain through Poland, Telus explained that the current approach is provisional, based on a verbal agreement with Ukraine. He expressed hope that a formal agreement would be reached with Ukraine by Friday, featuring joint supervision while Ukrainian authorities would license exports to intermediary companies handling transit shipments.
On Saturday, Poland’s State Agency for Strategic Reserves announced it began purchasing consumer wheat exclusively from Polish producers, with a bidding window open through April 14.
Responses from industry leaders
Tomasz Obszański, president of the NSZZ Individual Farmers’ Solidarity Association, said the meeting aimed to generate concrete solutions for the Ministry of Agriculture. He supported introducing tariffs to stabilize grain and soft fruit markets and to help family farms operate normally while assisting companies financially strained by high grain prices.
Agrounia leader Michał Kołodziejczak described Telus’s announcements as promising but possibly insufficient, calling them empty words. He criticized the government for taking steps that pit farmers against traders, arguing that some traders lack ethical practices and that state policies have created a challenging environment for the sector.
Kołodziejczak announced demonstrations at a railway crossing in Hrubieszów where Ukrainian grain shipments pass, with plans to block broad-gauge rail lines as part of the protest.
Telus, appointed by the president as the new agriculture minister a day earlier, met with Ukraine’s Minister of Agricultural Policy and Food, Mykola Solski, in Dorohusk on Friday. After their discussions, Telus indicated that Ukraine had proposed a strict limit on Ukrainian grain arrivals to Poland for a period and even a temporary halt. He stressed that transit through Poland would be closely monitored by both sides to ensure grain does not linger.
State authorities later announced that Poland would purchase grain from Polish producers to shape the market in the early weeks of the season.
In related remarks, Telus highlighted the need to address the potential outflow of Ukrainian grain from Poland and to distribute it across Europe. He also noted that every food shipment entering Poland would be checked for standards and market impact. An agreement exists whereby the Ukrainian side suggested halting Ukrainian grain arrivals to Poland for the time being.
Source notes accompany these statements, summarizing public remarks by the Polish Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development and related officials and organizations during discussions on grain transit and market measures.