Poland’s Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, engaged in a three-hour discussion with farmers in Warsaw on Saturday, promising measures to reduce the grain surplus on the domestic market. While Deputy Agriculture Minister Michal Kolodziejczak indicated a proposal to cut 4-5 million tons, farmer union leaders, including Tomasz Obszanski of NSZZ RI Solidarnosc, stated that the protests would persist. The farmers demand an end to cheap imports and environmental regulations affecting their livelihoods.
Government’s Pledge: Prime Minister Tusk assured farmers that funds would be allocated to remove several million tons of grain from the market to address the surplus issue. Despite the government’s commitment, leaders like Obszanski expressed dissatisfaction, stating that the protests would intensify.
Root of the Issue: Farmers emphasize that dealing with the surplus alone is insufficient, highlighting concerns about continuous grain imports from Russia and other countries.
EU-wide Agricultural Concerns: Farmers across the EU advocate for changes to restrictions imposed by the Green Deal plan for climate change. They also call for the re-imposition of customs duties on Ukrainian agricultural imports, waived after Russia’s 2022 invasion.
Poland’s Stance: Poland seeks an EU ban on Russian and Belarusian agricultural products and faces challenges balancing farmer concerns with supporting Kyiv.
Ongoing protests by Polish farmers underscore broader EU-wide agricultural issues, including the impact of environmental regulations and import policies. Prime Minister Tusk’s pledge to address the grain surplus reflects an attempt to find common ground amid escalating tensions.
