Will the ban on Ukrainian grain imports return?

Hungary’s National Agricultural Chamber (NAK) and farmers’ association Magosz on Monday said they are sending an open letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, asking the executive body to review the decision to lift the ban on the import of Ukrainian farm products and reinstate the restrictions.

Not only did the European Union’s “flawed sanctions, the energy crisis and increased input costs” make life more difficult for farmers, the European Commission then scrapped customs duties on Ukrainian agricultural products, the organisations say in their letter.

The EU “deceived” farmers, abused their solidarity and their good will to ensure that Ukrainian farm products make their way to Africa, they said.

Because the measures introduced by the EU were “poorly thought-out”, the Ukrainian grain flooded the central and eastern European markets, causing enormous market uncertainty and a steep fall in producer prices, the organisations said. Hungarian farmers are set to suffer losses of at least 300 million euros in the case of the autumn wheat alone, and the prospects are no better when it comes to the other products, either, they added.

NAK and Magosz called it “unacceptable” that the EC had not extended the import ban on Ukrainian agricultural products, despite calls from several central European countries to do so, saying this constituted a “betrayal” of farmers.