Hungary would implement harsh sanctions against Ukraine

The Hungarian government will take further measures and introduce tighter controls over grain imports from Ukraine “to make sure that the grain reaches its original destination”, Agriculture Minister István Nagy said on Saturday.

The ministry quoted Nagy as saying that grain and oil seeds imported in large quantities were causing problems to Hungarian producers. Ukraine, which enjoys duty-free status, has also started exporting large amounts of poultry, eggs, and honey to European markets, which “suppresses Hungarian products in their traditional markets and reduces farm gate prices below the cost of production”, the ministry said. Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Romania, and Bulgaria have asked the European Commission to take measures to handle the “intolerable” situation, Nagy said. Farmers need stability and a predictable environment so that “they can go on with their production under the same conditions as their European peers,” he said.