The Polish farmer was not to lose on grain imports from Ukraine. Henryk Kowalczyk, former Minister of Agriculture, answers

Henryk Kowalczyk, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (MRiRW), resigned on Wednesday, but will remain in the government as deputy prime minister. During Thursday’s press conference, he summed up his activities in the Ministry of Agriculture. There were also questions from journalists.

Kowalczyk was asked about his words from June 2022 that the Polish farmer will not lose on grain imports from Ukrainebecause it is transported through our country only in transit.

– The prices of cereals are prices on world markets and in Poland there are also prices similar to those in Poland Germanyin France or elsewhere. All farmers look at these prices and indeed prices on world markets have fallen. The problem is not the difference between the price in Poland and the price on world markets, the problem at the moment is that there are full warehouses close to the border, hence the process, which I hope will empty these warehouses – replied the former Minister of Agriculture.

In this context, the deputy prime minister was asked whether the idea of ​​deposits for grain from Ukraine was considered. – The idea of ​​deposits was considered, but in the conditions we operate in, European Union trade, it was not possible to implement – pointed out the deputy prime minister. I don’t know if anything else could have been done. Discussions are completely unnecessary at this point, he added.

According to the proposal submitted by the Polish Coalition, the importer of goods would pay the payment at the customs and tax office, which would be returned within 24 hours of the goods leaving the territory of Poland.