Agriculture Minister: ‘EU does not want to find solution to Ukrainian grain issue’

Speaking at a press conference after a meeting of EU agriculture ministers in Brussels, Istvan Nagy said that protests staged by farmers across Europe went to show that “an overpoliticised agrarian sector is untenable”.

“The protests are a warning by European farmers that access for them to EU agriculture subsidies is extremely difficult and giving preference to Ukrainian grain imports hurts their markets and existence,” the minister said, calling it “unacceptable” for Hungary to accept Ukrainian grain.

Nagy said he had held talks with EU Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis, and they agreed that Hungary should conclude a bilateral pact with Ukraine, which would mean that Ukraine would not send and Hungary would not receive grain from that neighbouring country.

Hungary will close its borders for Ukrainian grain which may lead to Brussels launching an infringement procedure against the country, said Nagy, adding however that the interests of Hungarian farmers were a priority for the Hungarian government.