EASTERN European nations remain unhappy with the flow of Ukrainian grain west, claiming it is distorting local prices.
This week, Romania enforced a temporary European Commission, the EU's politically independent executive arm, endorsed ban on Ukrainian exports until June 5, while Poland, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Hungary have imposed unilateral bans.
The bans have been imposed by governments anxious to appease local farming lobby groups who have been unhappy at the price distortion as the result of the explosion of overland Ukrainian grain exports as the war torn nation struggles to find alternative routes out for its grain.
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The EU condemned the moves of the nations that imposed their own bans, saying they were 'unacceptable' however local concerns, especially in countries in election years such as Poland and Slovakia, have won out over Brussels.
There is some uncertainty about the legality of the independently imposed bans as they are technically invalid under EU law but local authorities are enforcing the ruling.
The Ukrainian Agri Council has protested the decision and has petitioned the EU to overturn the findings saying the bans impacted not only direct exports to eastern Europe but the safe passage of grain through the corridor.
"Without the full functioning of these export routes, not only will global value chains and supply chains be further disrupted, but also financial losses will be incurred by both Ukrainian and foreign producers," the UAC said in a statement.
Road and rail corridors out of Ukraine through the west into eastern Europe are even more critical with Russian threatening to pull out of the Black Sea freight corridor deal in response to mooted additional economic sanctions from the G7 according to Bloomberg.
Andriy Dykun, head of the UAC , called on eastern European officials to relax their stance.
"The current situation is purely political," he said.
"The political decisions of our neighbors are affecting farmers who, suffering from the destruction of their farms and the inability to sow because of mined fields, continue to help our military."
Gregor Heard
Gregor Heard is ACM's national grains industry reporter, based in Horsham, Victoria. He has a wealth of knowledge surrounding the cropping sector through his 15 years in the role. Prior to that he was with the Fairfax network as a reporter with Stock & Land. Some of the major issues he has reported on during his time with the company include the deregulation of the export wheat market, the introduction of genetically modified crops and the fight to protect growers better from grain trader insolvencies. Still involved with the family farm he is passionate about rural Australia and its people and hopes to use his role to act as an advocate for those involved in the grain sector.
Gregor Heard is ACM's national grains industry reporter, based in Horsham, Victoria. He has a wealth of knowledge surrounding the cropping sector through his 15 years in the role. Prior to that he was with the Fairfax network as a reporter with Stock & Land. Some of the major issues he has reported on during his time with the company include the deregulation of the export wheat market, the introduction of genetically modified crops and the fight to protect growers better from grain trader insolvencies. Still involved with the family farm he is passionate about rural Australia and its people and hopes to use his role to act as an advocate for those involved in the grain sector.
