The European Commission (EC) granted consent on Friday for a PLN 2-billion (EUR 435.40-million) Polish government programme aimed at supporting the domestic wheat production sector.

The aid will be distributed in the form of direct grants.

Polish farmers have complained that a glut of Ukrainian grain on the market has depressed prices and made it hard for them to sell their produce.

“The purpose of the measure is to support the liquidity needs of wheat producers, affected by the current geopolitical crisis and in particular by the massive grain imports from Ukraine, which have strongly impacted the Polish (…) domestic grain market,” the EC wrote in a statement.

“The Commission found that the Polish scheme is in line with the conditions set out in the Temporary Crisis Framework,” the statement continued. “In particular, the aid (i) will not exceed EUR 250,000 per beneficiary; and (ii) will be granted no later than 31 December 2023. The Commission concluded that the scheme is necessary, appropriate and proportionate to remedy a serious disturbance in the economy of a Member State…”