Polish agriculture faces harvest crisis amid extreme weather and rising costs

The Polish agricultural sector is facing severe challenges due to extreme weather conditions and rising operational costs. A combination of spring frosts, prolonged droughts, heatwaves, and heavy rains has drastically reduced crop yields for grains, rapeseed, and fruits. In some regions, such as Lubelszczyzna, fruit harvests have dropped significantly, with some producers reporting losses that threaten their financial stability. The Opole Agricultural Chamber has even appealed to the Prime Minister to declare a state of natural disaster.

Economic pressures are mounting as diesel prices have spiked, reaching as high as 8.5 PLN per liter in some areas. This has led to political friction, with Przemysław Czarnek calling for an increase in the agricultural fuel excise tax refund to 2 PLN per liter. In response, Minister Stefan Krajewski noted that an increase to 2 PLN was already announced in July. Political opponents, including Marcin Kierwiński, have countered these appeals by citing past government decisions regarding Ukrainian grain imports.

On a positive note, the sector is seeing a strategic expansion. The Philippines has officially completed phytosanitary procedures, opening its market to Polish apple exports, with the first shipments expected as early as the 2026 harvest. Additionally, the market for plant protection products in Poland has shown signs of recovery, with an 8% increase in sales in 2024.