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Romanian farmers asking for immediate restrictions on imports of agricultural produce from Ukraine
Romanian farmers is asking Agriculture Minister Petre Daea ahead of his meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Mikola Solski scheduled for Wednesday, for immediate restrictions on imports of agricultural produce from Ukraine, at least until the reintroduction of customs duties under bilateral partnerships with Ukraine.
According to an open letter released on Tuesday by the Forum of Romanian Professional Farmers and Food Processors (APRR), the farmers are asking for separate flows of agricultural produce by origin or separate flows by time intervals at Romanian customs, so that there are no overlaps between the logistics flows of produce of Ukrainian and Romanian origin.
"Given the importance of the customs point, it is absolutely mandatory that this separation becomes effective immediately in the port of Constanta," reads the letter signed by APPR Forum Chairman Nicolae Sitaru.
The organisation is also demanding securing the traceability of imports through a strict quality control and the avoidance of ambiguities related to the origin of agricultural produce by applying in these instances some forms of monitoring already in use, such as the Ro E-Transport system.
The farmers also say that the conversations between Deaea and Solski will take place on Wednesday, as in the middle of 2022 customs duties were totally eliminated for all goods from Ukraine, a measure that commercially exported the effects of the war to neighbouring countries through an involuntary dumping effect, as it stimulated Ukrainian farmers to sell below cost while forcing the pace of commodity flows.
"This approach has not helped the farmers in Ukraine resume their production cycle, given an escalation of input expenses, but it has very much disrupted the Romanian market. The solutions worked out by the European Union are insufficient and do not even remotely cover the effects on Romanian farmers generated by the decision to liberalise imports."