Polish farmers’ real risk: Structural weakness, not Ukrainian competition

unable to compete with Ukraine in grain production due to the sheer scale of Ukrainian farmland and the significantly lower cost of production. According to the expert, the main risk for Polish farmers is not “cheap Ukrainian products,” but rather the structural lag and fragmentation of Poland’s agriculture sector — factors that weaken farmers’ bargaining power in negotiations with large retail chains. Kalinowski stresses that Polish farmers must urgently unite into producer groups, cooperatives and marketing organizations to improve their access to markets. He argues that Poles are looking for the root of their problems in the wrong place. Focusing solely on protectionist barriers against Ukraine is a strategic mistake, he says. Instead, Poland should prioritize improving ...