Why problems of Polish farmers not related to Ukrainian agricultural products
Polish MEP Marek Belka brought together prominent figures to discuss the state and prospects of cooperation between Poland and Ukraine in farming.
The participants attempted to analyse the reasons for the current situation and find mutually acceptable solutions.
Read more about the Polish farmers's issues and how to establish normal neighbourly relations between Ukraine and Poland in farming in the column by Olha Trofimtseva, the Acting Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine in 2019 – Breaking free from myths: How Ukraine and Poland can overcome farming export crisis.
Olha Trofimtseva reminds us that the first signs of exacerbation of Polish-Ukrainian relations in farming exports began as early as the autumn of 2022.
Increasing bilateral farming trade volumes (farming exports to Poland increased by 1.6 times compared to the previous year), volatility of world prices for major grains, electoral cycles, as well as the lack of quick and effective decisions regarding the development of logistics and infrastructure.
All these factors, as noted by the former Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, led to an accumulative effect and an outburst of emotions in early 2023 with the first protests on the western border of Ukraine.
The columnist writes that populism (often from both sides), attempts to find scapegoats, media and political hype did not lead to a deeper analysis of the reasons and the search for mutually acceptable solutions.
"At the roundtable organised by the office of Polish MEP Marek Belka on the state and prospects of cooperation between Poland and Ukraine in farming, there were representatives of the Polish side, Polish business associations, who spoke about how the Ukrainian farming has simply become a scapegoat in political discussions within Poland over the past year," the expert asserts.
According to her, it is enough to look at the graphs of internal grain prices in Poland and prices on exchanges like MATIF to see that Polish prices directly correlate with international market prices. And, surprise, supplying Ukrainian grain has no critical impact on these prices.
"When the conversation with Polish colleagues goes beyond superficial and populist arguments about Ukrainian latifundia, 'black grain' and 'low quality standards,' Poland has to admit that the main reason for the situation in which Polish farmers found themselves in 2024 is the lack of structural reforms in the agro-industrial complex (AIC)," Olha Trofimtseva is convinced.
She adds that the unreformed Polish agricultural sector has left a whole layer of micro-producers unincorporated into national and international markets, has not addressed the issue of hidden unemployment in rural areas, and has left a significant number of these "farmers" heavily dependent solely on direct EU subsidies and Poland's budget for survival.
So, at the level of the Polish government and the vast majority of representatives of the Polish business community, there is a clear understanding of the importance and necessity of establishing normal neighbourly relations in farming with Ukraine.
"We must jointly prove to our allies within Poland that populist slogans and fears have nothing to do with reality," the columnist writes.
According to her, educational and informational work to debunk negative myths and simultaneously build a strong reputation among Ukrainian agricultural producers and exporters is not a one-time action but a continuous effort at all levels. Expelling marginal populists from the agricultural information field is one of the main tasks in combating disinformation.
The former Minister of Agrarian Policy is confident that in Poland, there are many more people who support Ukraine, think constructively and look to the future, understanding perfectly well that from geopolitical and geo-economic perspectives, Ukraine's EU accession is more advantageous for both the Union and Poland than any likelihood of the EU without Ukraine.
Ukraine's task is to support and strengthen these voices of reason and good neighbourliness.