Various meetings have taken place between Polish and EU officials in the wake of what many believe is a politically motivated ban by Russia prohibiting the country's produce.

Polish Agriculture Minister Marek Sawicki. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Poland’s Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Marek Sawicki met with exporters earlier yesterday to discuss fruit and vegetable exports.

The meeting was also attended by banks and insurance companies, following Russia's ban on various Polish products including apples, cherries, apricots, plums, peaches, nectarines and cabbage, that took effect on August 1, 2014.

Another meeting also took place last week between the agricultural minister, European Commission Director General for Agriculture, Jerzy Bogdan Plewa, and chairman of the Committee of Agricultural and Rural Development of the European Parliament, Czeslaw Adam Siekierski.

Both EU representatives happen to be Polish nationals, and they discussed possible compensation for Polish farmers affected by the Russian embargo.

According to a Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development release, Sawicki also issued letters to EU Commission for Health Tonio Borg asking for a meeting 'at the earliest opportunity' to emphasize the fact that Russia's ban on Polish fruit and vegetables 'is a political decision, which is in retaliation for economic sanctions introduced by the European Union'.

The minister notes the total losses for the Polish fruit and vegetable sector could amount to around €500 million (US$671 million).

"The Polish Ministry of Agriculture hopes that in the spirit of European solidarity, appropriate measures will be implemented to alleviate the negative effects of the Russian embargo for both Polish and other fruit and vegetable producers in the European Union," the release added.

Dominik Wozniak, who is the chairman of Polish apple cooperative Rajpol, told www.freshfruitportal.com the new apple season was due to start in a few weeks, and dealing with Russian trade embargos was nothing new for his country.

"Russia says that the ban is due to problems with insects but nobody believes that, not even the Polish agricultural minister who says that this is a reaction to EU sanctions on Russia," Wozniak said.

"We are almost finished with the old season for apples and the new season will start soon. We know that Russian apple production will be lower, by around 20%, this year. That shows they must buy the fruit from someone.

"For years we have had problems with trade to Russia as they always say that something is wrong with our fruits and at the same time we try to find new markets."

He added how, although Russia was seen as an important market for Polish apples, new markets were being sought in the Middle East and elsewhere to absorb the volume.

www.freshfruitportal.com