Hungarian Farmers’ Association: Ukraine’s EU membership would be catastrophic

Ukraine’s membership in the European Union would be a “catastrophe” for European farmers, especially those in neighboring countries, István Jakab, president of the Magosz Hungarian Farmers’ Association, told public radio on Wednesday.

Seed According to him, Ukraine’s 41 million hectares of agricultural land and huge agri-food facilities could lead to the ruin of the European agricultural and food sector. He added that most of Ukraine’s largest farms were owned by foreigners, Americans, Arabs, Germans, Norwegians or Chinese, and that it was in the fundamental interests of these investors for the country to join the EU.

He said Ukraine’s use of pesticides and herbicides long banned in the EU, the country’s unrestricted use of yield enhancers and antibiotics, and its GMO agricultural products seriously disadvantage EU farmers.

Ukrainian Agriculture Minister István Nagy warned on social media on Wednesday that Ukraine’s accession to the European Union could have “unpredictable and irreversible” consequences. According to him, Ukraine’s accession to the European Union would lead to “radical changes” in the European agricultural sector, while reducing agricultural subsidies. “Farmers’ livelihoods cannot be put at risk; the government will defend their interests,” he added. According to him, European farmers cannot compete with the huge Ukrainian farms, supported by Western capital and without obligation to comply with EU agricultural rules.

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