Farmers, who began a protest sit-in at the ministry on Tuesday evening, are still occupying the building, and there are “no formal discussions” taking place between the protesters and officials, a spokesperson for the agriculture ministry has said.
On Tuesday evening, the ministry announced that talks were underway between Agriculture Minister Czesław Siekierski and representatives of the demonstrating farmers, who had signed an agreement with the ministry in Jasionka on March 19.
In its statement, the ministry said that arrangements adopted between it and farmers in Jasionka had been “implemented to a significant extent.”
However, as quoted in the statement, Siekierski said that several of the activities that had been agreed upon “require many inter-ministerial arrangements as well as specific procedures that prolong the implementation of the agreements.”
The deal signed in Jasionka stated the agriculture minister would ask Prime Minister Donald Tusk to stop the transit of embargoed farm goods from Ukraine through Poland. The parties also said trade relations between the two countries must be regulated, ensuring market access for products such as grains, rapeseed, corn, sugar, poultry, eggs, and certain fruits.
Polish farmers have been blockading the country’s border crossings, especially with Ukraine, to protest against the import of cheaper produce they claim is harming their livelihoods.
Farmers are also demanding a halt to the EU’s Green Deal. Farmers say the deal, which aims to make agriculture more environmentally sustainable, is also damaging their interests.
Tomasz Obszański, the head of the farmers’ Solidarity union, said in an interview with the Tysol.pl website on Tuesday that the farmers want Tusk to talk to them.
He said, “As farmers, we have made a gesture of goodwill, but nothing has materialized so far.
“Since we have not received any details, we are going on a sit-in strike and staying at the ministry so that we can talk with the prime minister… so that we can agree on a specific plan of action plan to develop a number of things that are needed today both for farmers and the Polish state.”
In its statement, the ministry said that arrangements adopted between it and farmers in Jasionka had been “implemented to a significant extent.”
However, as quoted in the statement, Siekierski said that several of the activities that had been agreed upon “require many inter-ministerial arrangements as well as specific procedures that prolong the implementation of the agreements.”
The deal signed in Jasionka stated the agriculture minister would ask Prime Minister Donald Tusk to stop the transit of embargoed farm goods from Ukraine through Poland. The parties also said trade relations between the two countries must be regulated, ensuring market access for products such as grains, rapeseed, corn, sugar, poultry, eggs, and certain fruits.
Polish farmers have been blockading the country’s border crossings, especially with Ukraine, to protest against the import of cheaper produce they claim is harming their livelihoods.
Farmers are also demanding a halt to the EU’s Green Deal. Farmers say the deal, which aims to make agriculture more environmentally sustainable, is also damaging their interests.
Tomasz Obszański, the head of the farmers’ Solidarity union, said in an interview with the Tysol.pl website on Tuesday that the farmers want Tusk to talk to them.
He said, “As farmers, we have made a gesture of goodwill, but nothing has materialized so far.
“Since we have not received any details, we are going on a sit-in strike and staying at the ministry so that we can talk with the prime minister… so that we can agree on a specific plan of action plan to develop a number of things that are needed today both for farmers and the Polish state.”
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