What's with the Ukrainian "technical grain"?

gazetafenestra.pl 2 years ago

Since the beginning of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the West has been trying to aid the invaded state. In addition to military support, assistance is besides provided to export goods from Ukraine, which practically ceased to be through the war. Through an agreement signed in the summertime of 2022, Poland was to become an economical hub for Ukraine and to be a transit country for cereals, which was to go to mediocre countries. However, as it turned out, this issue has caused many serious problems.

Less than a year ago, Istanbul decided to unlock Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea. The decision was due to an expanding hazard of famine, which appeared on the horizon following the outbreak of a larger-scale conflict. The Ukrainian grain represents a crucial part of planet exports, and the closure of black sea ports could consequence in the starvation of many millions of people outside the war.

‘Unobserved procedure’

Immediately after the conference, the issue was widely commented on by the media, farmers and erstwhile and current politicians. erstwhile Minister of Agriculture Jan Krzysztof Ardanowski on the air of the 3rd Polish Radio Programme in the summertime of 2022 powerfully criticized this idea. He said that grain will not leave Poland at all and will stay in our country for a long time, and this in turn will consequence in the request to usage it on the place and replace Polish grain with Ukrainian grain. “This is an unobservable thing,” warned a erstwhile associate of the government. Donald Tusk besides had doubts, stressing during last year's press conference in Bieszkrów that assistance for Ukraine is necessary, but with reasonableness, given the interest of Polish society. The leader of AGROunia Michał Kołodziejczak besides spoke. – Speculators will buy cheaper cereals from abroad, which could lead to Poles staying with full grain magazines – he commented in an interview with “Super Express”.

‘Technical cereals’

At the beginning of this year, the word ‘technical cereals’ was widely utilized in the media, which were intended to be utilized for industrial and fuel production. However, no 1 in the agricultural sector has known this word before. Farmers had no thought what they were dealing with. – I have never heard the phrase “technical cereals”. Most likely, it was invented by specified grain companies for a time to avoid control and waiting on the Polish-Ukrainian border – Krzysztof Stara spoke for the “Business Insider” portal. In this case, the concerns were not unfounded either. On 11 April 2023, “Rzeczpospolita” revealed that Ukrainian “technical cereals” were sold to the largest flour producers in Poland. A fewer days later, the investigation into the case was initiated by the territory Attorney's Office in Zamość. It is intended to explain how Ukrainian cereals intended for industrial purposes could be utilized in food products. The problem is that cereals from outside our east border do not meet EU standards, which prevent, among another things, the usage of a crucial amount of pesticides, and thus are cereals of a much lower quality. It is besides crucial that the conditions under which cereals from Ukraine were kept remain. There is simply a likelihood that besides damp wagons could make mold at the time, which would undoubtedly be harmful to consumers.

Political consequences

Since the very beginning of the case, Polish farmers have not looked favourably towards creating a transit place for Ukrainian grain in Poland. They feared that alternatively of being directed further to another countries, Ukrainian cereals would be placed in our country and would replace this Polish. erstwhile news related to the sale of “technical grain” for the production of flour and inactive falling grain in warehouses was provided, farmers went full-time to the streets of Polish cities and villages. The situation was attempted by then Minister of Agriculture, Deputy Prime Minister Henryk Kowalczyk. However, he did not mention straight to the case, and he blamed the current grain situation on the European Union. "I am liable for the decision of the European Commission, due to the fact that the EC has taken the decision, and Poland has besides been active in this, to open the borders of Ukraine, and now the effects that are due to this decision are being passed on to me," he said on Polish Radio in March. Kowalczyk was even thrown by farmers with eggs and another food products. In the end, Henryk Kowalczyk resigned on 5 April and was replaced by PiS MP Robert Telus. He immediately went to work to change the situation. To this end he held respective meetings with the Ukrainian side. In mid-April, he announced success and announced that from now on all transports from Ukraine will be covered by the SENT and GPS monitoring system. However, as it turned out, this did not solve all the problems. The alleged "agreement" with the Ukrainian side did not end. In April, the government decided to completely ban the import of grain, but besides honey and sugar from Ukraine to Poland. In addition, it has been established that a tonne of grain is to be worth not little than 1,400 zlotys together with subsidies. This decision has not echoed the European Union institutions. "Trade policy falls within the exclusive competence of the European Union, and unilateral action is so unacceptable," said the European Commission in its statement. It was expected to be real help, there's quite a few problems. "Economic hub" is now fiction, Polish farmers have lost a lot.

Mr Filip STACHOWIC

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