Poland turns sour on Ukrainian raspberries

Poland has called for an EU ban on the import of frozen raspberries from Ukraine, Polish press agency PAP reported on Thursday.

Deputy Agriculture Minister Janusz Kowalski described the measure as a “priority” and said it is in the interests of the Polish economy, according to PAP.

Last year, Polish farmers produced 105,000 tons of raspberries, while imports of frozen berries from Ukraine increased by a third to more than 22,000 tons, Kowalski said. From January to April this year, imports shot up by 117% to exceed 7,000 tons, the minister claimed.

In April, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, and Bulgaria unilaterally banned imports of agricultural products from Ukraine in a bid to protect their markets. Romania joined the four nations in urging Brussels to find a solution to the glut of produce, which was caused by the EU lifting tariffs and quotas for Ukrainian agricultural imports.

Later that month, the European Commission reached an agreement that saw the nations lift unilateral bans on imports while the EU allocated funds to support domestic farmers.

However, a ban on selected Ukrainian agricultural imports to Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria was extended in June and will remain in place until September 15.

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