Polish farmers are angry at Ukrainian imports which are flooding the local market and driving down prices for Polish farmers. For several days, they have been blocking the roads to Ukraine.
3 mins
From our correspondent in Warsaw,
Farmers’ nerves are on edge Poland. They came from all over the country, and many to Dorohusk, to show that they are fed up. “ Fed up with Ukrainian wheat, fed up with Ukrainian sugar »as they wrote on signs.
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Marcin Wilgos, one of the organizers of this demonstration, arms in a sling, hat pulled tightly on his head, took the time to explain the situation that Polish farmers are going through at the moment: “ We have been protesting for a year and a half now. Today, we can consider this the culmination of our protests. Polish agriculture and the Polish economy are flooded with Ukrainian agricultural products, foodstuffs that are not subject to European standards, so it is cheaper to maintain and therefore sold cheaper “.
This situation has been going on since Russia invaded Ukraine two years ago. When the Black Sea ports were blocked, it was necessary to find an exit route for Ukrainian goods which are generally sent to countries in Africa or the Middle East.
The European Union removed customs duties at the border and wheat, honey, eggs or even raspberries began to cross the border freely.
Read alsoEU extends suspension of customs duties on Ukrainian imports
At the demonstration, many chanted: “ Close the border, close the border ”, which would, according to some, be the best solution to loosen the bottleneck on Polish farmers. But that doesn’t mean there is anti-Ukrainian sentiment in the ranks of these farmers. Marcin Wilgos recalled that aid to Ukraine was necessary to protect the rest of Europe. They do not say they are victims of aid to Ukraine either. They are especially angry with Brussels and the Polish government, who, according to them, do not care about their fate.
And as in France or Germany, the green deal, set up by the European Union, is the straw that breaks the camel’s back. Tomek, one of them, parades next to a tractor which is transporting a coffin. He has the impression of being suffocated between European standards and imports from Ukraine: “ If nothing changes, we farmers will all end up in these coffins. And for now, I see no hope. I have a son, but I wouldn’t want him to be a farmer now. It has become so complicated that you can live from your job today and next year you won’t even earn a single penny… it no longer makes any sense ». This is why Polish farmers continue to demonstrate and block border crossings.
In Dorohursk, an endless line of trucks waits to cross into Ukraine. The sign that displays the waiting time promises the last person in line that they will be able to clear customs in 1,650 hours! That’s 69 days to wait at the border. The anger of farmers is expected to attack the country’s major cities in the coming days or weeks. Tomorrow they could even come to demonstrate in Warsaw and block the entire capital.
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