Slovenian farmers are worried about Ukrainian wheat and flour

(Photo: Pixabay)

Franc Kücan, vice president of the Slovenian Farmers’ Union, said that farmers and cooperatives are worried about the import of Ukrainian wheat, which is sold for 170 euros per ton. He criticized the European Commission for “letting Ukraine move freely on European markets with 20 million tonnes of wheat”. At a mid-week meeting of Slovenian farmers and cooperatives, attended by members of the Chamber of Agriculture and Forestry, a Ukrainian company offering wheat flour at a price of 360-370 euros per ton was discussed, which, according to farmers’ representatives, “undermines the Slovenian market”. The mentioned company offers the flour to Slovenian mills and other potential customers in Slovenian branded packaging. The participants asked the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food to check whether the offered Ukrainian wheat and flour meet EU standards. They have called on Minister Irena Sinko to ensure that Slovenia preserves the 28,000 hectares of land where wheat is grown, and direct payments are expected to compensate the difference between the purchase price (€220) and production costs (€285).

Farmers also warned that this year’s barley and wheat harvests will be very poor

According to estimates, Slovenian farmers harvest an average of 3.5-5.5 tons of barley per hectare, and the purchase price is currently EUR 130 per ton. “This is only 60 percent of the production cost. This is very worrying, as this year’s production is even more expensive than last year’s due to higher fertilizer prices,” said Kücan. Conditions were not ideal for wheat either. The rains of the past few weeks have slowed down ripening and pests have appeared. Although the Agricultural Institute estimates that the average yield will be around six tons per hectare, according to Kücan, farmers expect a lower yield.

MTI