EC approves Poland's plan for support to corn producers

The European Commission on Monday gave the green light to a Polish scheme worth about EUR 44.7 million to support the corn production sector which has been hit by a side-effect of the war in Ukraine.

The sector has come under pressure from imports of Ukrainian corn, which have come into Poland owing to their traditional maritime export routes being closed because of the conflict.

"Under the scheme, the aid will consist in limited amounts of aid in the form of direct grants," the European Commission (EC) said in a press release. "The purpose of the measure is to support agricultural producers that, in 2022 or 2023, at least once did not receive payments for corn sold to entities purchasing and trading cereals, and that are at risk of losing financial liquidity due to the difficulties on the agricultural market caused by the current crisis."

The aid will not exceed EUR 250,000 per beneficiary and will be granted no later than December 31, 2023.

The EC added that "the scheme is necessary, appropriate and proportionate to remedy a serious disturbance in the economy of a Member State.