A small step in the right direction, but there is still a long way ahead of us, said Sławomir Izdebski, chairman of OPZZ Farmers and Agricultural Organizations, after the meeting with Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
Saturday’s meeting of Prime Minister Donald Tusk with the leaders of protesting groups as part of the Agricultural Summit at the “Dialog” Social Partnership Center has ended. The head of the farmers’ OPZZ, who participated in the talks, stated that “a little too little specificity was provided.”
I think this is a small step in the right direction, but there is still a long way ahead of us – said Izdebski.
When asked for details, he pointed to three issues raised during the meeting.
The Prime Minister said that as of today – as far as fallowing is concerned – there will be no fallowing in 2024, and from 2025 there will be no fallowing at all. There will be a so-called voluntariness, if someone wants (…), they will receive a small amount of money for it. This is something small. We are partly satisfied with this, because it was one of the conditions included in our demands, he emphasized.
According to the information provided by Izdebski, the Prime Minister announced the introduction of limits on products imported from Ukraine to Poland, just like before the war.
– Talks with Ukraine on this matter are coming to an end and Ukraine will probably agree to it (…) This means that enough products will be allowed to be imported into Poland so that it will not harm our market – he explained.
During Saturday’s meeting – as he said – there was also a conversation about the fact that “we need to find money to take grain out of Poland.”
This means making such an additional payment that the grain can be transported to the port, beyond the border of our country, to free up the warehouses before the next harvest – said the head of OPZZ Farmers and Agricultural Organizations.
According to his account, the Prime Minister declared that there would definitely be money for it; It is still to be determined what the formula of this assistance will be. – The most important thing for him is that this direct aid goes to farmers, not to intermediaries – he added.
Izdebski said that consultations will be held with farmers in the field to provide them with the Prime Minister’s proposals.
Whether they are satisfied with it or not, and whether they want to continue protesting, he explained.
Farmers’ protests have been going on for several weeks in Poland and other EU countries. In Poland, their demands include abandoning the provisions of the Green Deal, sealing the borders against the inflow of agri-food products from outside the EU and defending animal breeding in Poland.
