The Slovak government has decided to extend the ban on imports of wheat, corn, rapeseed and sunflower seeds from Ukraine until the end of the year, Prime Minister Ludovit Odor has said.
“The European Commission did not extend the import ban on four products from Ukraine, including wheat, after September 15, so the government decided to ban their imports at the national level. And this is until the end of the year and on the same four commodities, i.e. wheat, corn, rapeseed and sunflower seeds. We have to prevent excessive pressure on the Slovak market to remain fair to domestic farmers,” Odor said, according to Aktuality.
According to him, the government’s move is also a reaction to a similar approach by Poland and Hungary. Odor emphasized that the Slovak government will continue to work intensively with the European Commission and European Union member states to find a pan-European and systemic solution while the national import ban on the four products is in place. He stated the government’s readiness to lift the ban in such a case.
The Slovak Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development added that the decision is related to the protection of the domestic market and is a logical reaction to the practice of neighboring countries that adopt unilateral import bans.
“The ban does not apply to the transportation of goods through our territory, which expresses our solidarity with Ukraine and the placement of its goods on target markets,” the ministry added.
