– The visit held during the National Field Days, in particular on the day dedicated to young farmers, allowed me to get a better view on the quality and genuineness of the Polish production. I am  pleased with the opportunity to meet with the Polish farmers – emphasized the European Commissioner for Agriculture Christophe Hansen.

Young Farmer Day in Szepietowo

The first day of the 7. National Field Days was dedicated to the young generation. The items of the programme agenda included among others the debate of the students of agricultural schools and the 3. Agricultural Schools’ Championships. The participants discussed the challenges faced when setting-up own agricultural activity and these related to the investments and development of modern farms.

– It is the young people, who will decide on the future of the Polish agriculture. This is why we support agricultural education and create the conditions for taking-over and developing the farms by the next generation of farmers – said Minister Stefan Krajewski.

The call for proposals on the premiums for young farmers was launched on 1 June. This year, the support for those running or intending to set up the animal production was increased on the initiative of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development. In this case, the premium amounts to PLN 300 thousand. The farms running the plant or mixed production may benefit from the support of PLN 200 thousand.

Discussions on the future of daily sector

In Wysokie Mazowieckie, Commissioner Hansen visited the Industrial Skills Centre dedicated to dairy processing and met with the representatives of the dairy sector. The discussions focused on the future of the Common Agricultural Policy after 2027, food security, situation of milk producers, trading agreements and the operating conditions of dairy cooperatives.

– The farmers contribute to food security, territorial cohesion and strengthening resilience of the border areas. This applies in particular to such regions as Podlachia. Supporting the farmers entails also investing in rural and local community development and in our safety and security – pointed out Christophe Hansen.

The Commissioner referred also to the future of support for agriculture in the European Union.

– The European Commission fully recognises the key role played by the farmers. The following budget shall continue the support for the farmers’ income. Strong European agriculture needs strong Polish agriculture – he added.

Podlachia is the core dairy region in Poland. It is the place of operation of the largest dairy cooperatives, while milk production belongs to the most important sectors of the regional economy.

Plan for geographical indications

Discussion on strengthening and developing the role of geographical indications in building the resilience of agriculture and food security was one of the highlights of the visit agenda. The Commission works on the action plan for development of geographical indications. The measures taken by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development address this initiative.

Since 2024, Poland has submitted 7 applications for registration to the European Commission, while for the other three the national procedure is ongoing.

The applications already submitted to the EC include: Polish oat goose (polska gęś owsiana), Krajna apples (jabłka krajeńskie) and Dukla great-grandfather’s sausage (kiełbasa pradziada z Dukli).  

The main objectives of the plan cover as follows:

• increasing the number of registrations, in particular in the states of poorer representation of the system,
• increasing consumer awareness and recognition of indications,
• improving visibility of the certified products in trade and catering,
• better use of the CAP instruments and linking the geographical indications with other rural development directions.

The measures taken by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development aim at delivering these objectives as consistent with the interest of the agricultural sector.

Minister Krajewski emphasized that the protected geographical indication system boosts the employment and income in rural areas, counteracts their depopulation and protects cultural heritage. This is why the proposal of the Commission is of importance and we will participate in working-out a document for development of the protected designations of origin and protected geographical indications. At the same time the Minister pointed out that similar measures are necessary for the traditional speciality guaranteed – the system of importance for the protection of the Polish culinary heritage.

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