Hungary Widens Ukraine Import Ban with Honey and Other Products

The government in Hungary said Thursday that they are going to stop importing honey and meat products from Ukraine. This is to help the farmers in Hungary so they can make more money selling their food items.

Hungary’s government has decided to stop Ukrainian products from going into the country until June 30. This includes food like grains, oil seeds, flour and cooking oil. The government will also make sure that these products don’t come all the way from Ukraine if they are shipped in from other countries.

The government has banned imports from Ukraine because there’s too much of it on the market, making it difficult for Hungarian farmers to sell their goods. Other countries like Poland, Slovakia and Bulgaria have done the same thing recently since a lot of Ukrainian grain was allowed into the European Union when Russia stopped regular shipments.

Gulyás spoke out and said that the situation in the past few weeks and months has had a negative effect on Hungary’s agricultural market. He added that they want to help Ukraine, but they cannot let it damage Hungarian farmers, their economy and especially their agriculture.

The EU has agreed to help farmers in countries around Ukraine. They plan to provide a total of 156.3 million euro, with the first package being worth 56.3 million euro and the second worth 100 million euro.

Hungary’s government said on Thursday that it will let Ukrainian products pass through Hungary, but they’ll be monitored. The government also mentioned that grocery stores have to lower the prices of food items because they increased 47% this past year – which is the highest increase in all of the European Union.

There are 20 different types of food products and the biggest food stores will have to offer at least one item from each type with a 10% lower price than the lowest price it was sold for in the last month. This rule does not apply to smaller stores, as stated by Alexandra Szentkirályi in a public announcement.

Ms. Szentkirályi said that fast food businesses should not try to make a lot of money right now because it’s too hard for everyone right now. Their new plan will start on July 1st and it won’t involve trying to get more money than usual.