The debate between “Wprost” and TVP Info has ended. Discussion “across divisions” between PO and PIS government ministers

Debate entitled “Polish agriculture 2030 – food security, sovereignty and the future in the face of crises” was hosted by Agnieszka Niełościowska (“Wprost”) and Radosław Bełkot (TVP INFO).

The event was attended by:

• Stefan Krajewski

  current Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development,

• Czesław Siekierski

  Minister of Agriculture in 2023–2025, i.e. in Donald Tusk’s third government,

• Jan Ardanowski

  Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development in the PiS government (2018–2020),

• Krzysztof Jurgiel

  former Minister of Agriculture in 2005-2006 and 2015-2018 (in the PiS government),

• Jarosław Kalinowski

  Minister of Aviation in 1997 and in 2001-2003.

The debate took place at the castle in Gniew, where the “Golden 100 of Polish Agriculture” awards were granted to the largest enterprises producing animal and plant food, as well as agricultural distributors.

The event began by outlining the situation of Polish farmers and the fact that Polish agriculture, despite its historical success – dynamic growth in exports and being a key food producer in the EU – is today facing the most serious economic crisis since the transformation. Data from the Central Statistical Office show that as many as 62.7 percent farm owners experienced a deterioration in their financial situation in the first half of last year, and every fifth farmer is considering ceasing their activity.

During the debate, issues were raised about a number of strategies for agriculture that have been developed in Poland since the 1990s, the Act on the Active Farmer, problems with Ukrainian products on the Polish market, as well as the risk of agricultural protests in Poland similar to the protests in France. The agreement with the Mercosur countries aroused the most emotions.

Jan Krzysztof Ardanowski emphasized that the agreement with Mercosur is a cylinder for Polish agriculture. – I do not believe in any defense mechanisms proposed by the EU. In the seventh year of the contract, the defenses will disappear. What will it look like? In each port we will have complex laboratories that will examine pesticide residues in food from Mercosur countries, Ardanowski said ironically.

However, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Stefan Krajewski, pointed out that “if Europe is not combined, Asia will be combined with South America.” – We must remember that it is more difficult to talk to Western European politicians. Agriculture is important, but Western politicians also say that they want to export cars to South American countries, not only Germany, but also countries such as the Czech Republic and Slovakia. And our household appliance companies can also have new markets, he emphasized.

Czesław Siekierski said about the Mercosur agreement that – yes – Poland must look after its own interests, but we also need to think more broadly. – We need to move production, place production in other countries. Farmers will do nothing on their own if there is no joint action of all farmers at the European level, he emphasized.

Jarosław Kalinowski pointed out that the agreement with Mercosur will enter into force and we need to think about it this way. – We have no choice but to effectively enforce this agreement. If we want to increase the resilience of agricultural producers, they must become shareholders in the processing trade. We need to increase connections between processing and producers, he emphasized.

Krzysztof Jurgiel pointed out that Poland lacks strategies for individual industries. And that a document was created talking about 21 strategic projects for agriculture, but it ended only with a strategy for the beef market.

There were also questions about whether it is still profitable to be a farmer in Poland. How to avoid the collapse of the Polish agricultural sector? And about an act dealing with the problem of leases and introducing the concept of an “active farmer”, as well as about preferential working capital loans with a repayment guarantee and interest subsidies – are there sufficient tools for the financial stabilization of the sector.