Leaders of Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria have turned to the European Commission over Ukrainian grain imports that are upsetting the European market.
Agriculture Minister István Nagy noted that the leaders appealed to EC president Ursula von der Leyen, asking her to take immediate steps to “handle the untenable situation caused by growing imports of Ukrainian grain into Europe”. The letter signed by the Bulgarian president and the prime ministers of the other four countries noted that the markets of neighbouring countries have been swamped by unprecedented amounts of grain and nuts from Ukraine. Due to “failed Brussels sanctions”, farmers in those states have already been hit hard by growing energy prices and input costs, the letter noted. Large quantities of poultry, eggs and honey are also being imported from Ukraine, which are exempt from customs on all farm products, depressing prices below Hungarian producers’ production costs, he added. He said that the signatories proposed that the EU funding be raised for struggling regions and new resources added to bolster the costs the CAP cannot fund. The EC should also consider buying the grain from regions near the Ukrainian border to help farmers struggling to sell their produce, Nagy added.