Polish Farmers Resume Korczowa, Medyka Border Blockade

Polish farmers have resumed blockade at the Korczowa-Krakovets and Medyka-Shehyni checkpoints since 9:00 a.m. Thursday, April 18.

According to a Facebook announcement by the State Border Service of Ukraine, the blockade at the Korczowa-Krakovets checkpoint would affect in-bound cargo traffic to Ukraine and is expected to last until 9:00 a.m. on April 20.

For the Medyka-Shehyni checkpoint, the blockade applies to cargo traffic in both directions and was set to last until 9:00 a.m. on April 19.

The blockade does not affect passenger buses and cars.

“As of this morning, about 1,500 trucks are waiting in queues on the territory of Poland in these directions to travel to Ukraine,” reads the announcement.

The resumption of blockade adds the total number of Polish-Ukrainian checkpoints being blocked by protestors to four in total, alongside the Dorohusk-Yahodyn and Khrebenne-Rava Ruska checkpoints.

In a comment to Ukrainska Pravda, Spokesman of the State Border Service of Ukraine Colonel Andriy Demchenko said several trucks were allowed to pass through per hour, though sometimes they were not allowed to enter Poland at all.

“Protesters continue to make it difficult for trucks to move there, allowing several vehicles per hour, or restricting traffic in general. Because of these points, Polish protesters have recently not allowed trucks to pass towards Poland at all.

“A small number of trucks are still passing through ‘Yahodyn’ in the direction of Ukraine, especially when compared with the throughput capacity of this direction. As of the morning of April 18, there are a total of about 600 trucks in queues at these two points on the territory of Poland,” said Demchenko.

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The farmers started the blockade in late 2023 against the influx of Ukrainian grains and what it they deemed excessive competition from Ukrainian agricultural imports.

Though Ukrainian farm imports did increase dramatically during 2022 and early 2023 following the EU’s lessening restrictions on Ukrainian farm imports – reaching a staggering 29,803 percent at times – a unilateral ban from Warsaw in April 2023 has drastically reduced the number, as per a Kyiv Post investigation.

However, Kyiv Post is unable to determine the amount of Ukrainian grain intended for third nations that has remained in Poland.

Earlier this month, the EU agreed to impose stricter restrictions on Ukrainian farm imports over the crisis, though authorities have yet to reach a consensus on the details.