Poland’s four main seaports have witnessed a substantial increase in grain exports during the period from July 2022 to end-June 2023. According to Marcin Wronski, the deputy director general of the National Support Centre for Agriculture (KOWR), over 6.6 million tonnes of grain were exported, marking a significant surge from the previous season’s 3.9 million tonnes.
Speaking to PAP, Wronski attributed the impressive 70-percent rise in grain exports by sea during the 2022-23 season to the Polish government’s proactive measures to address the issue of a grain surplus in the domestic market and enhance logistics and transport capabilities.
The months of May and June stood out as record-breaking periods for grain exports by sea. In May alone, Poland exported a staggering 882,000 tonnes of grain through the ports of Gdynia, Gdansk, Swinoujscie, and Szczecin. The momentum continued in June, with exports reaching an unprecedented 937,000 tonnes.
Wronski remarked, “We have never witnessed such a remarkable level of grain exports as we did in June.”
Expanding on the overall picture, Wronski highlighted that when considering both road and rail exports in addition to sea exports, companies managed to export over 11 million tonnes of grain from Poland throughout the 2022-23 season. This remarkable feat undoubtedly sets a new record for the Polish grain trade.
The surge in grain exports can be attributed, in part, to the European Union’s decision to lift duties on Ukrainian grain, aiming to support the country in its conflict with Russia. However, this influx of Ukrainian grain adversely affected local prices and created difficulties for Polish farmers in selling their produce. To combat this situation, the Polish government has been making efforts to streamline grain exports through its seaports. Nevertheless, inadequate logistics, unprepared to handle such massive quantities of grain, have posed challenges to these endeavors.
With the Polish government’s concerted efforts to improve logistics and transport capabilities, the increase in grain exports signifies a positive step towards addressing the domestic grain surplus. It remains to be seen how these developments will impact the overall grain market in the future and provide relief to Polish farmers.