If necessary, Poland will impose a unilateral ban on imports of Ukrainian grain after September 15, while the transit of goods will be maintained, Agriculture Minister Robert Telusz told Polsat News at a press conference on Tuesday.
He denied media reports that a split in the coalition of countries banning Ukrainian grain imports had occurred and that the number of EU member states opposing Poland’s position on extending restrictive measures after September 15 had increased from 13 to 20.
“This is the first time I’ve heard that more countries are against it. I have talked to many ministers from the European Union about this. I see an understanding that we need to build a coalition. We have to build a mechanism. I am convinced that Romania is a member of the coalition,” Telusz was quoted as saying by the Polish publication farmer.pl.
He also said that next week he will hold talks with representatives of Slovakia to determine together “in which direction we will move.”
“At the moment, I have no doubt that there is a coalition,” Telusz assured.
The Polish minister emphasized that keeping the ban on the import of Ukrainian grain only until September 15 is “a political argument to further destabilize the situation in Poland.”
“We will not allow this,” he assured.
The Polish government wants this issue to be resolved “amicably in the European Union, so that there is no need to break down the door.”
“If it is necessary (…) to introduce unilateral bans, we will introduce them, because we are concerned about the interests of farmers (…), and there is no discussion on this topic,” Telusz stated.
Answering a question about possible risks of penalties being imposed on Poland if it violates the rules of the single market, the Minister said that “I don’t want to hear how we, the Poles, are being scared by fines (…)” and added that Poland “will pursue a tough policy in the interests of the Poles.”
Telusz said that Poland is in dialogue with Ukraine, Lithuania, and Latvia to transit grain through Poland.
“We are in dialogue with Ukraine, as well as with Lithuania and Latvia, to use their ports,” he said, and assured that the grain that leaves Poland does not return.
“If we are talking about the food security of Poland, the food security of Europe, then the grain must flow to Europe and must flow outside of Europe. We will help you on the way,” the head of the Polish Ministry of Agriculture said.
According to him, before the ban on the import of Ukrainian grain, about 114 thousand tons of grain entered Poland in transit, and in June – 260 thousand tons. At the same time, about 6 million tons of grain “left” Poland. Poland has about 3-4 million tons of grain left, “but this is a reserve that should always be there,” as the monthly demand for it is 2.5 million tons, the Polish Minister of Agriculture explained.
On June 5, the European Commission agreed to extend until September 15 the restrictions on exports of wheat, corn, rapeseed and sunflower from Ukraine to Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. “The restrictions do not imply a ban on the transit of these goods through Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia,” reads the document signed by EC President Ursula von der Leyen.
Moldova has been offering assistance with the transit of Ukrainian grain since the beginning of the war, and now it is trying to find a solution that will suit Moldovan farmers and help Kiev, Moldovan President Maia Sandu has said.
Speaking about the situation with Ukrainian grain, Sandu called it a “complicated topic.”
“We are trying to find a solution. There are discussions with Ukraine, Romania and the European Commission to see how we can harmonize the interests of Moldovan farmers, but also ensure this transit of grain from Ukraine. We have an obligation to help Ukraine, which today provides for our peace,” she told RFI.
According to her information, Moldova will try to find the best solution for both sides. One of them is rapid investment in transportation and port infrastructure to increase capacity for this period.
“We want to increase our exports, we want to develop our infrastructure, and we can do it, in particular with the resources of the European Union,” she explained.
Sandu spoke about the problem of farmers in Moldova who, even before the war in Ukraine, did not have enough capacity to export.
“We have to state that the railroad and port infrastructure in Moldova is underdeveloped. Now, when these large volumes are coming from Ukraine, the situation has become more complicated,” Sandu said.
As reported, Moldova intends to modernize the railway infrastructure and railway bed in order to increase exports of Ukrainian agricultural goods, for which it cooperates with Romania, Ukraine and donor organizations.
Agrarians of all regions of Ukraine have harvested early grain and leguminous crops on the area of 6185.1 thousand hectares, having threshed 27 million 259 thousand tons of grain at a yield of 44.1 c/ha, the press service of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food reported.
According to the report, the leaders in grain harvesting are the farmers of Zaporizhzhya region, who threshed 96% of the area, the largest threshing remains in Odessa region – 3.2 million tons. Harvesting of early grain crops is fully completed in Poltava, Vinnitsa and Odessa regions.
To date, Ukraine has harvested barley on 1398 thousand hectares, which is 94% of the planned, of which 5.567 million tons were threshed; wheat from 4.384 million hectares (94%) harvested 20.818 million tons; peas from 152.2 thousand hectares (101%) received 379.1 thousand tons.
Agrarians of Kherson, Dnipropetrovsk, Odessa and Ternopil regions have started harvesting millet, which was threshed 379.1 thousand tons from the area of 152.2 thousand hectares, which is 3% of the plan.
Dnipropetrovsk region threshed 0.1 thousand tons of buckwheat from 0.08 thousand hectares, which is 5% of all areas under this crop in the country.
In addition, 492.1 thousand tons of other grain and leguminous crops were threshed from 249 thousand hectares.
Agrarians of 13 regions have completed the harvest of rapeseed. It was threshed from the area of 1370.7 thousand hectares (92% of the planned area), from which 3944.1 thousand tons of winter rape was harvested.
The Ministry of Agrarian Policy in connection with the revision of the forecast for the harvest of all crops monitors information on their yields. Thus, for barley this week it amounted to 39.8 c/ha against 38.8 c/ha a week earlier, wheat – 47.5 c/ha (46.2 c/ha), peas – 24.9 c/ha (24.6 c/ha), winter rape – 28.8 c/ha (28.1 c/ha), millet – 12.1 c/ha (6.9 c/ha). Data on buckwheat at 11.3 c/ha corresponds to last week’s figures.
As reported, winter wheat sowing this season amounted to 4166 thousand hectares (-834 thousand hectares to the previous season), winter barley – 536 thousand hectares (-255 thousand hectares), rapeseed – 1374 thousand hectares (+110 thousand hectares).
According to the adjusted forecast of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy, in 2023 agrarians will be able to harvest grain in the following volumes: wheat – 20.9 million tons, barley – 5.8 million tons and corn – 28.1 million tons. Gross production of oilseeds will reach 20.3 million tons, in particular, sunflower – 12 million tons, rapeseed – 4 million tons, soybeans – 4.2 million tons. The sugar beet harvest is forecasted at 13.7 million tons.
Agrarians of all regions of Ukraine have harvested early grain and leguminous crops on the area of 5292 thousand hectares, having threshed 22 million 961 thousand tons of grain at a yield of 43.7 c/ha, the press service of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food reported.
According to the report, the largest threshing – 3.2 million tons – was recorded in Odessa region, where agrarians have already completed the collection of early grains and legumes.
To date, Ukraine has harvested barley on 1263 thousand hectares, which is 85% of the planned, of which 4.901 million tons were threshed; wheat from 3.830 million hectares (82%) was harvested 17.698 million tons; peas from 146.6 thousand hectares (98%) received 361.2 thousand tons.
Agrarians of Kherson and Dnipropetrovsk regions have started harvesting millet, which was threshed 0.2 thousand tons from 0.3 thousand hectares, and buckwheat – 0.1 thousand tons from 0.08 thousand hectares.
In addition, on the area of 1315.21 thousand hectares (92% of the planned areas) harvested 3702.1 thousand tons of winter rape.
The Ministry of Agrarian Policy in connection with the revision of the forecast for the harvest of all crops monitors information on their yields. Thus, for barley this week it amounted to 38.8 c/ha, wheat – 46.2 c/ha, peas – 24.6 c/ha, winter rape – 28.1 c/ha, which is almost the same as last week. The yield of millet – 6.9 c/ha, buckwheat – 11.3 c/ha.
As reported, winter wheat sowing this season amounted to 4166 thousand hectares (-834 thousand hectares to the previous season), winter barley – 536 thousand hectares (-255 thousand hectares), rapeseed – 1374 thousand hectares (+110 thousand hectares).
According to the adjusted forecast of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy, in 2023 agrarians will be able to harvest grain in the following volumes: wheat – 20.9 million tons, barley – 5.8 million tons and corn – 28.1 million tons. Gross production of oilseeds will reach 20.3 million tons, in particular, sunflower – 12 million tons, rapeseed – 4 million tons, soybeans – 4.2 million tons. The sugar beet harvest is forecasted at 13.7 million tons.
The Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine has updated its forecast for gross production of grain and oilseeds. This year Ukrainian agrarians can harvest about 56.4 million tons of grains, as well as 20.3 million tons of oilseeds, the ministry’s press service reported.
“At the beginning of spring 2023, the total gross harvest for the current year was projected at 63.5 million tons, which was 13% less in relation to the indicator of 2022. In June, after harvest began, the forecast was raised to 68 million tons, which was 7% less than the 2022 figure. Now, thanks to favorable weather conditions, there is every reason for another change in the forecast in a positive direction to 76.7 million tons, which is 5% more than the figure of 2022,” – noted on the website of the Ministry.
According to the report, despite the fact that the total area of sown spring and winter cereals this year was less by 980 thousand hectares than last year and amounted to 10,895 thousand hectares, weather conditions contributed to almost record yields of grain crops (up to 51.8 c/ha), which allows to significantly increase the volume of crop production.
According to preliminary estimates of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy, in 2023 agrarians will be able to harvest grain in the following volumes: wheat – 20.9 million tons, barley – 5.8 million tons and corn – 28.1 million tons.
Gross production of oilseeds, according to the Ministry’s forecasts, will reach 20.3 million tons, in particular, sunflower – 12 million tons, rapeseed – 4 million tons, soybeans – 4.2 million tons.
Agrarians will harvest 13.7 million tons of sugar beet this year.
Ukraine has already harvested 12.5 million tons of wheat with record yields, but due to weather conditions 60% of the crop will be sold as fodder, which is twice as much as last year’s figure, according to the analytical cooperative “Pusk”, established within the framework of the All-Ukrainian Agrarian Rada (VAR).
“The key problem of the new harvest was its low quality: due to weather conditions, the grain has a low protein content. Most exporting countries also have problems with the quality of grain,” analysts said.
According to their information, the volume of feed grain in the season-2023 may amount to 60% of the new harvest. In previous years, this figure was at the level of 30%, and the remaining 70% was food grain.
Ukraine will get no more than 40% of high-protein wheat in 2023, which will affect prices.
“The spread between fodder and high-protein wheat is already $15-18/ton, in the future it may exceed $20/ton,” experts noted.
The current season will be problematic with the supply of food grain worldwide, stated the WAR and added that a lot of feed grain will be produced by France, Germany and the Russian Federation, which are experiencing problems with grain quality.
“Those who have high-protein wheat are selling to Lithuania, to Germany, and at small ports the supply is low. If last season the markets were surplus, traders dictated prices, now we are moving to a deficit model. Farmers are not taking wheat to the ports, and prices will rise,” the analysts explained.
They reported that prices in Danube ports on the basis of CPT are $170-175/tonne, by the end of the week they are expected at $180/tonne, and by the end of August may exceed $200/tonne.
“World demand is just starting to grow, there will be news of quality problems in other regions as well,” predicted the CAP.
