Poland and Hungary will pause imports of Ukrainian grain. The European Union’s agricultural policies in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine have caused a glut of wheat in Central Europe, harming the region’s farmers.
On Saturday, Hungarian agriculture minister István Nagy announced Budapest would temporarily block imports of Ukrainian wheat and oilseeds until July 30th. In a separate statement, Jarosław Kaczyński, the leader of the ruling Law and Justice party, said Warsaw would also halt grain imports from Kiev. The Polish ban extends to other food products, such as beef and eggs.
Warsaw and Budapest made the decision in response to demands made by struggling farmers. Wheat prices in Central Europe dropped after a bumper crop and additional Ukrainian imports.
The EU denounced the actions by Poland and Hungary as unacceptable. "Trade policy is of EU exclusive competence and, therefore, unilateral actions are not acceptable," said Miriam Garcia Ferrer, the commission spokesperson for trade and agriculture. "In such challenging times, it is crucial to coordinate and align all decisions within the EU."
After Russia invaded Ukraine last February, the EU lifted customs duties and quotas on Ukrainian grain imports. Some grain that was exported via the Black Sea was rerouted through Europe by rail as well. However, a portion of the wheat became stuck in Central Europe as those nations lack the infrastructure to move in the influx of grain.
In April 2022, the EU warned, "There is widespread international concern that Russia’s war will provoke a global food crisis." However, according to a Financial Times report on Sunday, the desperate rush for food has not materialized. "Struggling with high debt and weakening economies, poorer nations in Africa and elsewhere have also recently been seeking to curtail food imports," the outlet noted. A reduction in demand will put additional downward pressure on prices for the struggling Polish and Hungarian farmers.
Kyle Anzalone is the opinion editor of Antiwar.com, news editor of the Libertarian Institute, and co-host of Conflicts of Interest.
The entire global food system seems to be hanging by a thread…
It seems to me that it is fine.
Ukraine sent its grain to Europe, Russia sent its grain to Africa. So Europe has a grain surplus, and Russia feeds Africa.
We will never know the truth about how well Russia is succeeding or failing. What the west is saying is that Africa is not paying enough for the wheat to get the west to send it to Africa
As Biden said so eloquently last year proposing that we start sending economic aid to Africa –
We need to send aid to Africa to counter China’s growing influence.
He never mentioned using it to help out the Africans. MAGA – only provide aid if we get sufficient compensation.
Good points WA but, the problem is global, so the solution should be global too.
I agree with this 100% in theory. It would have to be an India – China – Russia initiative as US business interests would just expect too much in return as profit to be helpful. We are living up to the George Bush vision that “We don’t nation build.”
Joe Biden is making it clear that he is 100% behind this vision. Full throated support for activities that harm other nations, and nothing for building nations unless our corporations make a TON of profit from it
OMG what will we do when there is nothing left to eat ?
umm …. at some point people will start eating other people.
how can you fight your hungry neighbor off ?
better know some kung-fu bitches.
I have some good shish kabob recipes… 😉 Ah come on, I deserved an up vote, at least.
I have quite a few brigdes to sell to those who believe Westetn sob stories about hunger and staving people in forsaken Aftica.
This was a ruse from day one. Europe was to hoard grain supplies from Ukraine and resell to hungry world. While the collective West moralized about opening Black Sea routes for grain shipping from Ukraine and Russia to prevent world hunger — grain was shipped via rail to Poland and Hungary. The main goal of Black Sea crisis was to secure shipling lanes from Romania to Odessa for war supplies.
As Russia published long time ago, Ukrainian gtain was going to Europe mot to poorest counttiesz. Nobody listened. Well, now that Europe got its wish and all the grain it wanted — found out that tgere are ao buyers.
And tylical for European “values”, they left Poland and Hungary to hold the bag.
Two fake pieces of news. One, Eaasfern Europe has no infrastructure. BS. Poland is tthe major rail hub for tge entire trsin shipping from China to Europe. Russian led EAEU is a unified system of tariffs soanning many Eurasian countries facilitating seamless train traffic from China to Poland. From Poland, trains go to DUISBURG in Germany, a massive land port from where distribution of train lines goes throughout Europe all the way to Iberian Peninsula and Nordic countries. So what is up? Europe just is not buying it off from innundated Poland and Hungary.
So, why are poor countries not buying ? Have no money as these European sources claim? Another BS. Europe was not the only one removing tariffs and wuotas. China removed all tariffs and quotas on Russian wheat and other grains. Russia as the largest wbeat exporter has redurected its products to Asia, and its grain has continued its global supply routes. China has a massive shipping fleet snd no obstacles are in the way reaching Asia, Africa and Latin America. China and Rusdia have no ptoblems financing the trade, and this food is cheaper than European wheat trade. Europe got stuck with glut. No, Poland and Bungary got stuck. European traders just backed off.
Europe is just not buying much of anything any more. For example m, Turkey is selling its fruits and vegetables to Russia as European market has shrunk. Russia is increasing its production in dairy products and fish.
It should be good news that other countries are producing more and better quality, non-GMO products. But Europe is used to cornering markets snd exacting high priced.
The byproduct of Ukrainian war is — it is not working anymore.
There are so many piles of bs, you need a landmine map just to navigate.
Sanctions do include food and medical supplies, so it is very hypocritical for our politicians to mention human rights.
Sanctions are meant to punish the people to destabilize society, getting set for regime change. And who else besides the good old US does regime change?
The exceptionally brutal, unipolar hegemon does it!!
Spot on Renate!
They would have restricted those imports even without the war going on.
Governments tend to protect their agricultural sectors from dumping of cheap commodities.
Those Ukrainians will have to sell it to someone else and forgo the money the Poles and Hungarians were slipping into hands to make the deal run smoothly as one must do in that region of the world.
Ukraine once fed much of the developing world, shipped by sea.
Now, pushing all that food overland into neighbors does not feed the developing world, which has huge problems. Instead, it only causes new problems in neighbors who had no food problems before this.
The grain deal was sold as helping those dependent on Ukraine’s food. Instead, they go without, and the EU is trashed.
The European Union is a political bloc which is illegal because it reduces the sovereignty of affected nations. UN Charter: “The Organization is based on the principle of the sovereign equality of all its Members. All Members, in order to ensure to all of them the rights and benefits resulting from membership, shall fulfill in good faith the obligations assumed by them in accordance with the present Charter.”
What was entertaining recently was the Macron-von der Leyen visit to China. Both are “presidents” but only Macron was a national president. Therefore he was accorded full diplomatic courtesies by China president Xi, reviewing the troops etc. whereas his traveling companion Ursula received no diplomatic courtesies, had to go through customs at the airport, “anything to declare,” etc.