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In the last few days, an information released by an international specialized website has once again caused an uproar in Romania on the subject of Ukrainian grain. In a statement to stiripesurse.ro, Ukrainian Agriculture Minister Mykola Solskyi categorically denies that Romania has imported grain from Ukraine.
Erroneous information in the press
The specialist website Agricensus noted the other day that since the beginning of this trade year, which started in July 2023, Romania has been the second largest market for Ukrainian wheat after Spain. Traders brought into the country one million tonnes of wheat, out of the up to10.3 million tonnes exported from Ukraine.
The source cited said Spain (3.3 million tonnes)a, Romania (1 million tonnes), Egypt (788,700 tonnes), Pakistan (696,200 tonnes) and Turkey (615,100 tonnes) were the top five importers of Ukrainian wheat since the start of the season. The data reportedly comes from the Ukrainian customs service.
Minister Mykola Solskyi's reaction
Stiripesurse.ro asked Ukrainian Agriculture Minister Mykola Solskyi to confirm or deny the information reported in the press. The Kiev official says that Ukrainian goods are only in transit to Romania.
"From May 2, 2023, until September 15, 2023, the European Commission temporarily banned grain imports from Ukraine into five EU member states, including Romania. Since September 16, 2023, Ukraine has introduced export licensing for these products to Romania while Romania has introduced import licensing. These measures are still in effect today, meaning that there is no import of grain to Romania. Grain from Ukraine only passes through Romania in transit", Mykola Solskyi told stiripesurse.ro.
Romanian Agriculture Minister's comments
"Romania has not imported cereals from Ukraine for human consumption or for animal feed from 1 July 2023 until now!", the Romanian Minister of Agriculture wrote on Facebook. Florin Barbu assures that this is the truth, other information circulated in the public space is "fake news".
"The Ministry of Agriculture has not issued, to date, any import license for cereals or other products from Ukraine for which licensing is required!
The information circulating in the public space that Romania would have imported 1 million tons of wheat from Ukraine, starting from July 1, 2023 is a FAKE NEWS!
In reality, the only imports of cereals from Ukraine took place in the first months of 2023, before the entry into force of the bans or under contracts concluded before 2 May 2023.
I understand our farmers' concerns about cheap imports from Ukraine.
It is a sensitive subject and such wild information thrown into the public space without being verified can create panic.
In order to avoid any misinterpretation about the quantity of cereals imported by Romania, I am making public the data collected from ANSVSA and the Romanian Customs Authority on imports from Ukraine of the main cereals (wheat, maize and sunflower) for human consumption and feed.
This is the truth," writes Florin Barbu, Minister of Agriculture, on Facebook.
