Ukrainian Agribusiness Club (UCAB) considers the continuation of the restrictive measures on import of wheat, corn, rapeseed and sunflower from Ukraine to Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria discriminatory and groundless and insists on the cancellation of this decision.
“Such prolongation will neither solve the problems of local markets nor improve the situation of local farmers,” said a statement published on the UCAB website on Monday.
The business association believes that the resolution prepared by the EU on the prohibition of the import of agricultural products from Ukraine to five neighboring EU countries, according to which the restrictions will be in force until September 15 this year, will have a negative impact on the economic recovery of Ukrainian farmers during the war.
Such decisions should be taken only after detailed studies and consultations with all EU member states because according to the latest data, some neighboring EU member states, such as Poland, were able to increase their export potential and domestic processing by importing cheaper Ukrainian agricultural products and improve their positions in livestock and finished products, the UCAB reminded.
The business association noted the negative influence of such a decision on the situation with sabotage of the “grain agreement” by Russia. “According to preliminary forecasts, the current steps to prohibit the import of Ukrainian agricultural products to the EU may deepen the blackmailing of the Russians regarding the operation of the grain corridor,” the UCAB said.
Experts of business-association emphasized that Ukraine will have less export potential in 2023 season: export of grains and oilseeds from Ukraine is forecasted to decrease by one third to 46 million tons per year.
Existing trade restrictions on Ukrainian agricultural products in five countries of the EU should be abolished. At the same time, it is worth conducting an open constructive dialogue between representatives of the Ukrainian and European agro-communities in order to find compromises, which will help both the EU and Ukraine to become stronger, summed up in UCAB.
