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Poland: Potatoes to be labelled with country of origin

The Polish Ministry of Agriculture has announced that potatoes will now have to include the country of origin in the label. This decision has been made in response to the demands of producers of potatoes and other vegetables, said Minister of Agriculture Krzysztof Jurgiel. The draft regulation is already prepared.

Furthermore, the Ministry of Agriculture intends to introduce the definition of "young potato" in the regulations, as potatoes imported from abroad are currently labelled as young potatoes in stores. The use of such a name is misleading, as consumers then expect such products to have exceptional taste qualities. This reduces the demand for new potatoes, consequently harming the market conditions for Polish producers.

Polish seed breeding will also continue to be supported. One of the priorities for the Ministry of Agriculture for the years 2018-2019 is the establishment of a plant breeding program in Poland. Its aim is to protect the national seed market for varieties cultivated in Poland. There will also be an increase in the subsidies for potato seed potatoes this autumn.

Data from the Institute of Agricultural Economics and Food Economy show that prices paid to potato producers this year are lower than in the previous year. At the end of April, cooperatives received 0.41 PLN on average (about 0.10 Euro), compared to 0.60 PLN in 2017.

On 9 May, producers from the Vegetable and Potato Union announced strikes in several municipalities in Poland. They complain about the inability to sell Polish products on any market. As they argue, both domestic and foreign markets are closed for them, and Polish stores are supplied with mainly foreign products (potatoes, carrots, cabbage, celery, beets, tomatoes, pickles and many more).


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