Farmers face uphill battle for EU fruit subsidy in the face of low market

Poland will file a motion to the European Commission in August to obtain subsidies for the sale of soft fruits because of the poor state of the domestic market. Currently fruit processing plants pay only zł.0.3 per kilogram for blackcurrents and zł.0.7 per kilogram for cherries, around three times less than a year ago. Farmers have accused food processing companies and intermediaries of making an unofficial agreement to keep prices low. They say it is the only reason that could explain the big difference between prices in Poland and the EU, where the fruit processing plants pay the equivalent of zł.10 for a kilogram of blackcurrents. A Polish delegate has reported the problem to the EU committee responsible for the fruit and vegetable market. The European Commission has asked the Polish government for a detailed report, which would allow it to analyze the situation thoroughly but has already classified the dispute as local, which means that the chances of the Commission taking any action are small. (Rzeczpospolita, p.B2) E.B.