Slovakia’s government on Monday approved a ban on imports of Ukrainian grain and other food products, following similar moves by Poland and Hungary.
Ukraine’s grain exports have been transiting through the European Union to other countries since the war-torn nation’s traditional Black Sea routes were blocked by Russia’s invasion.
But because of logistical issues, the grain had been piling up and driving down prices, triggering protests from local farmers, who also raised food safety concerns.
“Today, the government approved a proposal to ban the import of select agricultural products and foodstuffs from Ukraine,” Agriculture Minister Samuel Vlcan told journalists.
He said the ban, which goes into effect on Wednesday, is meant to protect the local farming sector as well as consumer health.
Last week the ministry said it had analysed a sample of Ukrainian grain and detected “the presence of a pesticide, which is not authorised in the EU and has a negative impact on human health.”
The ban will apply to various products including grain, sugar, fruits and vegetables, wine and honey.
Vlcan stressed that the ban would not apply to Ukrainian products transiting through Slovakia to third markets.
Fellow EU members Poland and Hungary both banned imports of grain and other food from Ukraine on Saturday.
