On Saturday, Hungary's agriculture minister said his country would join Poland and start banning imports of grain from Ukraine as a surplus of the crop has caused profits for Hungarian farmers to drop.
According to the New York Times, Hungary's agriculture minister said that "in the absence of meaningful EU (European Union) measures" Hungary would restrict the import of grain from Ukraine through June.
The European Union said the bans were "unacceptable."
Ukraine is a major contributor to world's supply chain of grain.
Last year, a bloc of countries in Eastern Europe, including Hungary and Poland, lifted their tariffs on Ukrainian grain imports after Russia's invasion of the country. The exports caused a "glut of produce in Europe," according to the New York Times.
On Saturday, Robert Telus, Poland’s agriculture minister, said his country's halt of grain coming in from Ukraine would serve as a "shield" for farmers in Poland. The same day, Poland, added a halt to a variety of produce imported from Ukraine in addition to the ban on grain imports.
On Saturday, Mykola Solskyi, Ukraine’s agriculture minister, said it was a "tough situation" but "The Ukrainian farmer is in the most difficult situation."
Last year, the UN and Turkey worked with Russia and Ukraine to form the Black Sea grain deal. Grain from Ukraine had typically been exported through the Black Sea but Russia formed a blockade on Ukrainian ports after the war began in 2022.
The Black Sea grain deal allowed for some grain exports out of Ukraine and was renewed in March and is set to expire on May 18.
Russia "has expressed dissatisfaction with the deal for months because of Western sanctions that have hindered its own food and fertilizer exports," reports the New York Times.
The outlet reports that "The agreement would become even more vital if Ukraine could not ship grain and foodstuffs over land routes in Eastern Europe, through Poland and Hungary."
