2024-01-04 20:39 update: 2024-01-07, 10:15
Photo: PAP/Wojtek Jargiło
Farmers who had been blocking the border crossing with Ukraine at Medyka have resumed their protest after an 11-day pause.
Members of the organisation 'Deceived Countryside', who had joined the protest of the Polish truckers ongoing at Korczowa, Dorohusk and Hrebenne crossings, suspended their blockade on December 24 for the holiday period, but on Thursday decided to relaunch it.
The farmers started blocking the Medyka border crossing on November 23. Among their demands are subsidies for corn, additional money for liquidity loans and maintaining the current level of agricultural tax throughout next year. Truckers have also been blocking the border crossings with Ukraine since November last year, complaining about unfair competition from their Ukrainian peers.
The protesting farmers said on Thursday that they had not received confirmation that their demands would be met. The added that they needed "written declarations, not just a memo prepared by the agriculture minister."
Czeslaw Siekierski, agriculture minister, told a press conference on Thursday that meeting the farmers' demands "takes time because the budget for 2024 must be adopted, and it is currently in the works of the Sejm (lower house - PAP)."
"One signature is not enough, there is a procedure," he added.
But, Siekierski said that there is money in the budget for subsidies and loans.
He assured reporters that he had sent farmers a note in which he confirmed that he would implement their demands, including subsidies for corn, which requires European Commission notification, an increase in agricultural lending by PLN 2.5 billion (EUR 575 million) with loans at 2 percent, and no increase in the agricultural tax.
Siekierski admitted that the note is not called an "agreement", but is an obligation. He also said that, if necessary, he could meet with protesters on Saturday, for example.
"I am the last person who would like to deceive you, because you can cheat only once and the next time I will no longer be a partner for you," he said addressing the farmers. (PAP)
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