The crisis in the Polish countryside is deepening. Low grain and milk prices, frosts devastating orchards, and soaring fertilizer costs are just some of the problems that require urgent action. Yet the Ministry of Agriculture has so far done virtually nothing to assist farmers, Gazeta Polska writes.
The blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which has been ongoing since early March, has taken a toll on European agriculture. Farmers have been hit hardest by rising fertilizer prices. These increases stem from the Gulf states (Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, and Iran) accounting for 30-46 percent of global maritime trade in nitrogen fertilizers, primarily urea and ammonia. Nearly one-third of the world’s seaborne fertilizer exports pass through this chokepoint, with estimates placing the volume at approximately 1.3 million tonnes per month.
Adding to the pressure is a second consequence of the Iran-U.S. conflict: rising natural gas prices. Global gas prices are now up to one-third higher than they were a year ago.
This is a crucial factor for European producers, as natural gas is a key input in fertilizer production. As a result, fertilizer prices have increased by 20-40 percent.
PSL sidelined
It comes as no surprise that European governments have begun intervening in the market and providing assistance to their farmers. The European Commission has authorized support measures for sectors affected by the crisis, and the first funds have already been distributed.
Spain has allocated €552 million in aid for fertilizers and fuel. France has introduced a €90 million fuel subsidy program for farmers. Ireland is also subsidizing fuel, spending €100 million on the initiative.
At the same time, Poland has yet to take any action. It has not even submitted the necessary application to the European Commission. The situation has also revealed what critics describe as the clear marginalization of the Polish People’s Party (PSL) within the government.
Agricultural media outlets asked the Ministry of Agriculture about fertilizer subsidies. The ministry delayed its response for weeks and ultimately claimed the matter was not within its remit.
“Please direct questions concerning government decisions to the Prime Minister’s Office. On behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, I can only say that if decisions are made regarding aid for Polish farmers, we will inform the public accordingly,” wrote Iwona Pacholska, spokesperson and Director of the Communications Office at the Ministry, in a response to the agricultural portal Farmer.pl.
According to politicians from the opposition party Law and Justice (PiS), the situation demonstrates that Agriculture Minister Stefan Krajewski holds little influence within the governing coalition.
“The political standing of the agriculture minister is virtually nonexistent. Neither Donald Tusk nor Finance Minister Andrzej Domański pays any attention to his views. Farmers are the ones paying the price. Yet PSL will remain in the coalition because it is interested only in positions and appointments in state-owned companies,”
Krzysztof Ciecióra, former deputy agriculture minister in the PiS government, told Gazeta Polska.
How PiS responded
PiS politicians argue that matters were handled very differently when they were in power. They maintain that the Ministry of Agriculture responded to every major crisis. Interestingly, at the time, PSL politicians were among those demanding action.
“Polish farmers expect genuine support, not symbolic gestures. We are submitting a bill providing fertilizer purchase assistance of PLN 1,000 per tonne. The consequences of government inaction will be disastrous. Action is needed,” PSL representatives argued in January 2022, when fertilizer prices also surged due to Russia’s use of gas supplies as a political weapon.
Stefan Krajewski likewise called for action at the time.
“It’s time to wake up and act in Poland’s interest!” he wrote on social media.
According to PiS, the government acted swiftly. Poland became the first country in Europe to apply for aid under the so-called wartime support framework and the first to receive European Commission approval for a record-breaking fertilizer subsidy program worth nearly PLN 4 billion.
The initiative was coordinated at the Commission level by Janusz Wojciechowski.
“That was April 19, 2022. A PiS government and a PiS European Commissioner launched a major fertilizer subsidy program worth nearly PLN 4 billion for Polish farmers. The opposition PSL attacked it at the time, claiming it was too little, too late, and poorly designed. Today, they are in power and remain silent about assistance,”
said Wojciechowski, who has left office as European Commissioner.
Critics note that PSL still possesses room to maneuver. Poland’s current European Commissioner, Piotr Serafin, was nominated by PSL and is additionally responsible for budgetary matters.
More challenges ahead
High fertilizer prices are only one of several crises that have recently affected Polish farmers. In recent weeks, media outlets have devoted considerable attention to potato growers, many of whom found it unprofitable to sell their harvests. The dairy sector has also been struggling for months, with procurement prices failing to cover production costs.
Analysts warn that the situation could trigger a broader crisis in the dairy industry, traditionally regarded as one of the most stable sectors of rural Poland.
Orchard growers are facing an even more serious challenge. April frosts have severely damaged crops, and preliminary estimates suggest that apple harvests will be 50 percent lower than normal. Similar losses are expected across other fruit crops.
Beyond the likelihood of higher consumer prices, Poland now faces the prospect of having significantly less produce available for export this year.
This creates a serious risk of losing established export markets.
“There is no aid, and there will be no aid. The government has clearly sacrificed farmers and is no longer concerned with rural issues,” warns Krzysztof Ciecióra.
“PSL is no longer a party representing farmers. Even its election program proves that. The entire chapter on agriculture was only two and a half pages long. Moreover, PSL has failed to implement even its own promises. The party continues to follow its long-standing principle: taking care of family and friends first. Personnel replacements benefiting loyalists have affected all institutions under its control. Minister Krajewski sits in Podlasie organizing his own election campaign,”
Jarosław Sachajko of the Direct Democracy movement told Gazeta Polska.
Sachajko also argues that the lack of assistance reflects a broader budgetary crisis.
“There is no money in the budget. This is already evident from European Commission documents showing that Poland now has the largest deficit in the EU, surpassing even Romania. Over the last three years, debt-servicing costs have risen by PLN 30 billion. Government spending is growing so rapidly that, for the first time in years, economic growth will be lower than the increase in public debt. The situation is dire. That is why the political right should focus on presenting its vision for Poland’s future,”
Sachajko concluded.