For the first time since the start of mass farmer protests, the European Union has reduced purchases of Ukrainian grain – in February, its imports fell by more than 20%, according to calculations based on the European Statistical Service.
⠀
In Europe, farmer protests have been going on for several years – the first took place in 2019 in the Netherlands amid tightening of green regulations in the country. Discontent began to become widespread towards the end of last year: the increase in the cost of fuel and fertilizers, as well as the collapse in prices for farm products due to the import of Ukrainian goods, led to the spread of discontent across 12 countries.
⠀
In February of this year, the European Union sharply reduced purchases of Ukrainian grain – by 21%, to 2 million tons from 2.5 million tons a month earlier, which was the first reduction since October last year. At the same time, in 2023, at the end of winter, supplies, on the contrary, grew.
⠀
The largest reductions in purchases were Romania (1.9 times), France (1.7 times) and Bulgaria (1.6 times). The largest buyers of Ukrainian grain also significantly reduced their imports: Spain – by 18%, to 1.3 million tons, the Netherlands – by 1.5 times, to 166 thousand tons, and Italy – by a third, to 162 thousand tons.
⠀
At the same time, there were countries that increased imports – Belgium and Ireland, which tripled it, to 64 and 93 thousand tons, respectively.
⠀
At the same time, the import of other agricultural products from Ukraine to the European Union, on the contrary, increased by 3%, to 1.2 million tons. The supplies of beverages increased the most – by a third, to 8.8 thousand tons, as well as plant materials – by 23%, to 37 thousand tons.
