Envoys from European Union member states in Brussels will discuss this week a move by Poland and Hungary to ban the import of grain and other food from Ukraine, a senior EU official said on Monday.

The senior EU official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said low global prices and demand meant the grain remained in the bloc rather than being sold. Oversupply has become a political problem for Poland's ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party in an election year. "We hope that Poland and Hungary will offer some explanation and there will also be reaction from the European Commission," the official said, adding that the issue was raised at the last summit of EU national leaders, including Slovakia and Romania.

"There is a problem and we hope that the Commission will come up with a proposal on that ... We'll see what we can do in the coming weeks and months." Ukraine's agriculture minister said Kiev wanted to reopen the transit of food and grain via Poland as a first step in talks in Warsaw on Monday.

Source: Agrolink