A total of 160t of Ukrainian grain have been “damaged” at a Polish railway station overnight, Ukraine’s Ministry for Infrastructure has said, describing it as a “new act of vandalism”.
Agricultural products from eight carriages were scattered at the Kotomezh station. The cargo was in transit to the port of Gdansk, however, for destination in “other countries”, the ministry said.
“This is the fourth case of vandalism at Polish railway stations,” Minister for Community Development, Territorial and Infrastructure Development, Oleksandr Kubrakov said.
Previously, rapeseed in three trucks, which was in transit through Poland to Germany, was damaged. Earlier this week, Polish protesters spilled grain on railway tracks, according to the ministry.
Ukrainian grain
The ministry said that Ukraine is “fulfilling its obligations” in accordance with the agreements with the Polish government, and that “no grain, corn, or rapeseed” remains in Poland.
Following the incident last night, Minister Kubrakov said on X that all of the agricultural products are transported in sealed rail carriages and are in transit to “other countries”.
Yesterday, on February 24, the day which marks two years since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the minister said “Ukraine is fighting and surviving, in part, thanks to our grain”.
After talking to farmers protesting at the border, Polish Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Czeslaw Siekierski said that “politicising” these protests is “dangerous”.
“I encourage [farmers] to conduct a public-friendly protest so that it is as little burdensome as possible, otherwise public support for agricultural protests will decline,” the minister said.
French agricultural fair
Meanwhile, European Commissioner for Agriculture, Janusz Wojciechowski met with French farmer and producer organisations at the Salon de l’Agriculture today (Sunday, February 25).
Attending the country’s largest agricultural fair, Commissioner Wojciechowski met with one of the largest farming unions in France, FNSEA, and young farmer body Jeunes Agriculteurs.
The commissioner also met with representatives of fruit and vegetable farmers and sugar producers, and discussed the current challenges and opportunities for the French cattle sector.
“Ensuring fairness for farmers, both economically and in terms of environmental responsibilities, is a principle that we support,” the commissioner said on X.
The agricultural fair was disrupted yesterday as angry French farmers, in their latest protest action, clashed with police and caused chaotic scenes at the fair.