Polish farmers announce strike across the country

Warsaw, Poland (Svidomi) — Polish farmers have announced a new strike and a blockade of the border with Ukraine. The strike will be held across the country and will last for one month, according to the National Farmers Union. 

The farmers plan to block all border crossings between Poland and Ukraine and block roads and motorways in certain voivodeships.

The strike will begin on February 9 at 10:00 a.m. local time and last until March 10. 

"Brussels' position on the last day of January 2024 is unacceptable for our entire agricultural community. Additionally, the passivity of the Polish authorities and declarations of cooperation with the European Commission ... regarding the import of agricultural produce and food products from Ukraine leave us with no other choice but to declare a general strike," the farmers said.

The farmers believe the Polish government should have a clear plan for agricultural production, profitability of production, reconstruction of Polish processing and Polish trade. 

On January 31, the European Commission officially proposed to extend the duty-free regime for exports from Ukraine for a year until mid-2025. However, it is not as liberal as in the previous two years and considers the specifics of EU farmers. The new autonomous trade measures provide quotas on the most sensitive products — poultry, eggs, and sugar. If imports of these products exceed the average annual import volumes for 2022 and 2023, they will be subject to duties. The European Parliament and the Council of the EU are to consider the European Commission's proposal.