Poland wants to build a port in the Odesa region to export agricultural products to Africa.

The Polish Minister of Agriculture, Michal Kolodziejczak, proposed leasing coastal land in Odesa for 50 years or purchasing it from Ukraine to create a grain port for Poland. He indicated that this initiative would enable Poland to export its own grain, as well as European grain, across the Black Sea, where the average price of a ton of wheat is PLN 100 higher due to reduced transportation costs to African countries. Kolodziejczak explained that the grain for export could originate from Zamość, Lublin, and Podkarpacie, where fertile land is available.

“We could utilize the existing wide track in Ukraine to import Polish grain, and additionally, potentially include what we would source from Western Europe and store domestically,” he stated.

Furthermore, Kolodziejczak suggested leasing 500,000 hectares of Ukrainian land to Polish livestock companies.

He also expressed concern about Ukraine’s potential accession to the EU, citing uncertainties regarding its consequences, and advocated for a 10-year ban on Ukrainians investing in the Polish agri-food sector following Ukraine’s accession to the EU.