The Ministry of Agriculture has prepared a regulation regarding subsidies for the sale of grain; it is consulted with farmers – he said on April 3 this year. Deputy Minister of Agriculture Michał Kołodziejczak. The question is: how long will these consultations last and will farmers finally receive the promised cereal subsidies?
In a moment, a week will have passed since Deputy Minister of Agriculture Michał Kołodziejczak announced that the Ministry of Agriculture has prepared a regulation on subsidies for the sale of grain and that “it is being consulted with farmers.”
Unfortunately, so far it has not been published, even in the list of legislative and program works of the Council of Ministers. As if no one had heard of him…
Farmers are asking
According to previous announcements by the ministry, the price for grain sold in the period from March 11 to May 31 this year was: the farmer is to receive a payment of PLN 300 per tonne for grain sold between January 1 and March 10 this year. – PLN 200/t. It is not known with which farmers this proposal is consulted, but we know that, for example, those associated with the Polish Association of Cereal Producers are not consulted, because they ask: why are corn producers being ignored again?
On Friday afternoon, Minister Czesław Siekierski met with PZPRZ representatives regarding the situation on the grain market.
The minister’s guests drew attention to three main problems: issues of the transit of Ukrainian grain through Polish territory, issues regarding the grain terminal on the Baltic Sea and the demand for corn producers to be included in the regulation on support for grain producers.
One of the proposals was to change the date of sale of grain covered by subsidies in such a way that they would also cover farmers selling grain before January 1, 2024. Representatives of the grain sector drew attention to the need for the European Union to buy surplus grain and send it to Africa.
They also expressed disapproval of the growing voices in the European Union regarding limiting animal production. They also do not agree to restrictions on fertilization and the use of plant protection products.
Minister Czesław Siekierski’s interlocutors also raised issues related to punishing farmers, including: for the lack of crop diversification.
Minister position
Unfortunately, very laconic: the head of the Ministry of Agriculture recalled that he had already submitted to the EU Council of Ministers for Agriculture a proposal to remove the surplus of grain by the European Union and direct it to countries in need.
He pointed out that the regulation on subsidies for sold grain is already being processed, and the proposal to change it would delay its entry into force.
The minister emphasized that corn subsidies are already being implemented (these are corn subsidies from 2023 paid from the 2024 budget – editorial note). By April 5 this year, over 161,000 farmers had already received a total of nearly PLN 675 million in this respect.
– .
