Polish farmers are protesting against the European Green Deal and other EU policies that negatively impact their local agricultural sector. Deputy agriculture minister, Stefan Krajewski, clarified that these demonstrations are directed at Brussels, not Warsaw.
The farmers are demanding the reinstatement of trade restrictions with Ukraine to protect their market from an influx of Ukrainian food. They also oppose the European Green Deal measures that hinder their operations. Krajewski noted that the protests are long overdue and should have taken place when the European Green Deal was being formulated.
According to Mirosław Maliszewski, head of the Polish Association of Fruit Growers, the Green Deal's exclusion of certain plant protection products, widely used in Poland's fruit production sector, threatens the profitability and competitiveness of the industry. He also highlighted the consequences of fertilizer-related restrictions, stating that reduced use of fertilizers would decrease yields and significantly affect profitability.
An anonymous apple grower from Mazovia echoed these concerns, warning that the Green Deal's negative effects would ripple through the entire country, not just the agricultural sector. She added that the resulting rise in production costs would lead to higher food prices and cheaper, lower-quality imports.
Source: euractiv.com