Polish farmers protested on Tuesday against the Russian embargo that has resulted in an apple surplus and huge losses for producers and the sector as a whole.

Large crowds of angry protesters gathered outside the offices of Polish Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz in the capital Warsaw demanding more money from the government to help offset loses caused by the Russian ban.

The demonstration was made up largely of apple producers who claim to be the worst hit sector in the country's agricultural industry, as ordinarily huge volumes of apples are exported to Russia annually.

Many carried banners emblazoned with messages calling for politicians to give up their wages and donate the money to producers instead.

According to Maciej Majewski of the fruit consultancy FreshMazovia, the Polish government has done too little too late to help the sector in its time of need. Although he wasn't involved in the protest himself, he knows first-hand of the struggles and insecurities felt by apple growers in the current climate.

"There are around 1.5 million tons of apples being stored in controlled atmosphere conditions and they will save for quite some time, so I urge people not to panic," he tells www.freshfruitportal.com.

"Let the professionals try to sell these apples for a decent price rather than sell them for a very low price and not make any money. We can wait if we have to, although obviously it is always better to sell. New markets are being explored.

"The main reason for this latest protest is the perception of apple growers who think that the Polish government has not done enough to help, they didn’t listen to us, they didn’t hear the voices of various fruit groups and organizations when we first heard of the Russian ban in August and now we have very big problems.

EU subsidies unfair on Poland, claims Majewski

Pointing towards the European Commission’s funding package, which was increased by €39 million (US$49 million) last week in addition to the €165 million (US$206 million) already pledged to ease oversupply pressures, Majewski says the financial support is unfairly distributed.

"One of the main reasons for joining the EU is solidarity, but the reality is there is no solidarity. Poland was the main exporter to the Russian Federation but now we only have a small percentage of the subsidy which many people believe is unfair," he says.

His key message is to focus on exploring new markets and learn lessons from what has happened in Russia. He says that diversifying markets is ‘better for business’ and avoids an over reliance on just one market.

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www.freshfruitportal.com