Polish farmers end protest as government agrees to suspend Ukrainian agricultural product imports

By Jo Harper

The Polish government reached an agreement with farmers on Wednesday to end ongoing nationwide protests. 

After talks between Minister of Agriculture Czeslaw Siekierski and representatives of several farmer organizations and trade unions on Wednesday, the minister announced that the two sides have reached an agreement to suspend imports of Ukrainian agricultural products to Poland and their transit to other countries.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk's government will make a final decision on the matter.

Farmers block streets with tractors in Krakow, Poland on March 20, 2024.

Polish farmers blocked roads across the country earlier on Wednesday in protest of the inflow of Ukrainian products and the EU's climate policy.

The farmers' protest began on Feb. 9 and on March 6, they clashed with police in front of the parliament in Warsaw.

Last week, the European Commission agreed to abandon pesticide restrictions, increase rye and barley subsidies, maintain the current level of agricultural tax, and lift restrictions on plant protection products and the need for fallow land.

The commission was clearly looking ahead to the European Parliament elections in June, which could see a rise in support for Eurosceptic parties at the expense of Poland's new pro-EU coalition, particularly one of the two smaller coalition parties, the Polish People's Party (PSL).

This is the first time the commission has backed down from pushing its climate goals, but it is still silent on nitrogen fertilizer reductions, and the share of organic crops still hangs in the balance.

The "Farm to Fork" and the EU Biodiversity 2030 strategies stipulate that organic farming should account for at least 25% of agricultural land in the EU by 2030.

In its strategic plan, Poland indicated that by 2027, organic crops would increase to 7%.

This would necessitate nearly doubling current levels as in 2021, organic production in Poland accounted for only 3.74%.

Warsaw's decision will not be well received in Kyiv and other European capitals.

According to Eurostat data, last year Spain imported 6 million tons of Ukrainian grain, Italy over 2.3 million tons, and the Netherlands 1.8 million tons. For comparison, Poland imported approximately 1 million tons a year ago. It is difficult to expect that these countries, which benefited from the inflow of cheaper grain, will accept the suspension of transit by the Polish government.

The current commission's term is coming to an end soon, and the EU may reconsider previously abandoned ideas.