LPoland intends to prohibit the arrival of Ukrainian grain on its territory, and threatens to block arms deliveries to Ukraine. Some European observers are upset and suggest that Poland would move away from the European Union, or even move closer, like Hungary and Slovakia, to the Russian Federation.
It is in fact indisputable that Ukrainian cereals literally flowed into Poland, leading to a collapse in domestic prices which was damaging to Polish cereal farmers.
But why did this happen? Since the establishment of the first Black Sea blockade in July 2022, Ukrainian grain producers have been looking for alternatives. The agreement obtained by the UN Secretary General and the President of Turkey certainly allowed the resumption of the movement of ships, but with very long delays, linked to inspection procedures at entry and exit. of the Black Sea, generating considerable increases in transit costs (capital assets, controls, insurance, etc.).
Logistical costs and corruption
For the 2022-2023 campaign, around thirty million tonnes were exported from Ukrainian Black Sea ports, leaving more than ten million of tonnes to be exported by continental routes (Danube, roads and railways), according to the Union of Ukrainian Grain Producers.
Faced with this situation, Ukrainian producers have sought all possible alternatives to the Black Sea, although by far the cheapest for the mass transport of heavy agricultural goods. They first mobilized road transport and their rail network to reach the Romanian ports on the Black Sea and especially those on the Danube. But there too, logistical costs have soared, and with strong corruption.
Ukrainian exporters have therefore sought to promote so-called “passage” stations where the Soviet gauge tracks are parallel to European standard tracks which open access, after transshipment at the platform, to the railway paths allowing access to the major European export ports. While waiting to be able to access it, the Ukrainians, whose cereals have become the main source of export revenue, used all the intermediate storage possibilities they could find in Poland…
But failing to be able to realize their exports to importing countries, while having to bear the costs of renting silos, adding to the already high transport costs, the Ukrainians were forced to sell their grains on site well below the price. worldwide.
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