Hungary committed to hold painful anti-Ukraine restriction

Hungary’s government, on its own authority, has decided to maintain the ban on Ukrainian grain produce and expand it to include rapeseed, sunflower seeds, flour, cooking oil, honey, eggs and some meat products, the agriculture minister said on Saturday.

The European Union ban on certain Ukrainian products expired on Sept. 15, but the moratorium must be maintained to prevent the disruption of markets, István Nagy said in a video posted on Facebook. A glut of cheap Ukrainian products on neighbouring markets could take up warehouse capacity from domestic products in the autumn harvest period, and Hungarian farmers would face even greater difficulties, he said.

At the same time, Ukrainian produce will be delivered to traditional markets in Africa and the Arab Peninsula, to prevent a “famine triggering a wave of migration with unforeseeable consequences,” he said. The agriculture ministry has proposed establishing a fund to aid transit to ensure that Ukrainian products find their way out of Europe, he said.