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Ukraine can export grain through Poland: agriculture minister

16.05.2022 19:00
The Polish agriculture minister on Monday reiterated his offer that war-torn Ukraine could export its grain via Poland to circumvent a Russian blockade of Black Sea ports.
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  • Poland and US offer help in grain exports for Ukraine
Polands Deputy Prime Minister and Agriculture Minister Henryk Kowalczyk (L) and Ukraines Minister for Agricultural Policy and Food Mykola Solsky (R) meet the media after their talks in Warsaw on Monday, May 16, 2022.
Poland's Deputy Prime Minister and Agriculture Minister Henryk Kowalczyk (L) and Ukraine's Minister for Agricultural Policy and Food Mykola Solsky (R) meet the media after their talks in Warsaw on Monday, May 16, 2022.Twitter/Polish Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development

Henryk Kowalczyk made the declaration after meeting his US counterpart Tom Vilsack, Ukraine’s Mykola Solsky and the European Union Commissioner for Agriculture, Janusz Wojciechowski, Polish state news agency PAP reported.

Kowalczyk, who is also a deputy prime minister, told a joint news briefing: “The transport routes that could represent an alternative to the blockaded [Ukrainian] Black Sea ports, lead through Poland, through our seaports, and through other European countries.”

Poland, Ukraine to set up joint company to export grain

The Polish agriculture minister warned that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine had destabilised agricultural markets, the PAP news agency reported. 

He also said that Poland and Ukraine would set up a joint company to export Ukraine’s grain and transport it abroad, according to PAP.

Kowalczyk last week vowed that Poland would work “24 hours a day … to help Ukraine export its grain."

‘Ukraine should export 5 million tons of grain per month’: EU commissioner

Meanwhile, the EU’s Wojciechowski, who is Polish, said that “Ukraine should export 5 million tons of grain per month if we are to avoid endangering global food security.”

Otherwise, “we can expect serious problems” in the Middle East and North Africa, he cautioned.

Washington to spend USD 2.5 bn to protect global food security

America's Vilsack announced that Washington would "provide USD 2.5 billion in financial aid to address grain shortages caused by Russia’s assault on Ukraine."

He also urged other countries to step up food production, the PAP news agency reported.

Monday was day 82 of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

(pm/gs)

Source: PAP, portalspozywczy.pl