Ukrainian grain is a benchmark of quality for many countries - Solskyi

According to an Ukrinform correspondent, this was stated by Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine Mykola Solskyi on the air of the United News telethon.

"If we are talking about the quality of Ukrainian grain, it has long been quite high and has long been a benchmark for other countries. Those who are in the market are well aware of this, and many European companies have been buying Ukrainian grain over the past 5-7 years to mix it with their own to improve the quality," he said.

The Minister explained that growing grain is a complex technological process that depends on the weather and other factors. In particular, the quality depends on the season.

According to Solskyi, in the current season, there are no complaints about the quality of Ukrainian grain from foreign buyers. He added that the issue of grain quality from Ukraine arose only once, when Slovakia found residues of herbicides that are not used in Europe in one batch.

The head of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy noted that Slovakia imposed the ban on imports of agricultural products from Ukraine not because of claims to grain quality, but on the basis of its own trade rules, which are stipulated in the country's legislation.

"Obviously, the motivation for making these decisions is that local farmers cannot sell their grain at a higher price due to the large supply of Ukrainian grain that has been available recently. But, from my point of view, this is a debatable issue. Because global prices, which affect absolutely all prices - in our country, in Poland, Romania, and Slovakia, - have fallen this spring compared to a few months ago," Solskyi emphasized.

He added that there are other reasons for the ban on imports of Ukrainian agricultural products, including the upcoming elections in neighboring countries. The minister emphasized that Ukraine is sympathetic to all circumstances and continues to engage in dialogue with all international partners.

As Ukrinform previously reported, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Bulgaria have imposed a temporary ban on imports of grain and other agricultural products from Ukraine. On the eve of this decision, Slovakia also stopped processing Ukrainian grain due to the fact that a pesticide banned in the EU was found in one of the batches.