"Today, the government has decided on a regulation that prohibits the entry, importation of grain into Poland, but also dozens of other types of food [from Ukraine ed.]," Kaczyński said at a PiS party convention in the village of Łyse, east-central Poland.
The Polish government will also purchase grain to prop up prices and provide subsidies for farmers, Kaczyński revealed.
Waldemar Buda, the minister for development and technology, subsequently signed a regulation officially prohibiting the transportation of agricultural products from Ukraine, such as grain, sugar, animal feed, meat, vegetables, and fruit.
The ban will take effect immediately and remain in force until the end of June.
According to the IAR news agency, Poland has imported roughly 2.8 million tonnes of Ukrainian grain since the Black Sea ports of Ukraine were blocked after Russia's invasion in February last year.
The significant influx of grain and other agricultural products from Ukraine has led to a notable drop in prices, causing production to become unprofitable for Polish farmers.
The situation was compounded by reports of Polish mills acquiring grain that was supposed to be of Polish origin but actually came from Ukraine.
As a result, farmers' organizations have staged protests across the country, prompting the resignation of former agriculture minister Henryk Kowalczyk, with Robert Telus taking over the role.
Earlier this week, Telus said that his country will seek to join forces with fellow neighbours of war-torn Ukraine to re-export Ukrainian grain to other parts of Europe.
At the end of last week, Poland and four other EU countries sent a joint letter to the European Commission, demanding restrictions on Ukrainian grain imports, according to officials.
(ał)
Source: IAR, Reuters