(MENAFN) Polish cucumber growers are pressing for a ban on Russian imports after data revealed Russia emerged as Poland’s top supplier in March, local media reports indicate. Farmers argue that Russian producers gain an unfair advantage due to lower energy costs, enabling them to offer significantly cheaper prices.

Despite a 79% year-on-year drop in Russian agricultural exports to the EU in January 2025, fresh cucumber shipments from Russia have surged, with Poland experiencing a four-year peak this spring, according to data.

Lukasz Gwizdala, operations director of the Polish Association of Tomato and Cucumber Producers, warned last week that the flood of Russian cucumbers is destabilizing the domestic market. He confirmed that Polish farmers have called on the government to prohibit imports amid unprecedented supply volumes.

In March alone, over 2,000 tons of Russian cucumbers, valued at EURO2.7 million (USD3.07 million), entered Poland—2.5 times the volume from February and a 25% increase compared to March 2024, a news outlet reported, referencing Eurostat figures. This export value marked the highest since March 2021, when sales hit EURO3.1 million (USD3.52 million). Notably, 83% of Poland’s EURO3.25 million (USD3.69 million) cucumber import bill in March originated from Russia, positioning Poland as the EU’s largest buyer of Russian cucumbers.

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