Poland bans Ukraine grain to protect local farms

Poland on Saturday banned imports of grain and other food from Ukraine to protect local farmers, the governing party's leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski said.

Ukraine's grain exports have been transiting through the European Union to other countries since the war-torn country's traditional Black Sea routes were blocked by Russia's invasion.

But because of logistical issues, the grain had been piling up and driving down local prices, which led to protests from farmers and the resignation of Poland's agriculture minister.

"Today the government decided on a regulation to ban the entry, imports of grain into Poland, as well as of dozens of other kinds of food," Kaczynski said in the northern village of Lyse.

Otherwise "it would lead to a far-reaching crisis of Poland's farming sector... We have to protect Polish agriculture," he added.

Speaking at a convention of his right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party, Kaczynski stressed that Poland remained a staunch supporter of neighbouring Ukraine.

"We remain, without even the slightest change, friends and allies of Ukraine," he said.

Kaczynski said the list of banned items would include grain and honey, among others.

Ukraine's ministry of agrarian policy responded on Saturday that it "regrets the decision of its Polish counterparts".

"Polish farmers are facing a difficult situation, but we emphasise that Ukrainian farmers are facing the most difficult situation" given the war, it added.

The ministry proposed for the two countries to come to a new agreement in the coming days that would satisfy both sides.

Last month, Poland and four other central European countries requested help from the European Union to counter the impact of cheap Ukrainian grain.

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© Agence France-Presse