The food holding company announced by the government is lying to people; the prices in the holding will not be lower, because as a State Treasury company it will have to be guided by profit – said the leader of AGROunia, Michał Kołodziejczak.
Food holding in this system, which is mentioned by (Minister of Agriculture) Henryk Kowalczyk, is paranoia and lying to people, taking away their hope that something will be better – Kołodziejczak said on Monday on Radio Plus Kołodziejczak, commenting on the rising prices of agricultural products. – Let’s not talk about absurd ideas that will never be implemented – commented the announcement of the creation of a chain of cheap stores.
According to Kołodziejczak, the reasons for rising food prices are high margins imposed by multinational corporations and “Polish capital, which operates on privileged” principles. – Supermarkets and intermediaries buy goods very cheaply and sell very expensive – said Kołodziejczak.
This hit farmers and consumers alike, “because goods that should be affordable are sold like luxury goods,” he added. – It will come to the point that people will prefer to buy a kilo of oranges than a kilo of potatoes – something that should be sold in Poland with a normal margin, and not overgrown – he said. He drew attention to the UN report from six years ago, which warned that “access to food in Poland will soon be very threatened by oligopolies.”
When asked if the establishment of Polski Holding Spożywczy could remedy the rise in prices, he replied: “No, and this is what the fuel trade is showing us today.” He noted that prices at Orlen stations are not lower than at other stations, including those owned by multinational corporations.
– It will not be cheaper in the holding either, because – as our ministers say – the essence of State Treasury companies is earning; they must operate according to market rules. Potatoes have to cost 4 zlotys per kilo for them, because they have to earn money. It will be the creation of another state-owned company – he said.
On November 19, Deputy Prime Ministers, Ministers of Agriculture, Henryk Kowalczyk and Ministers of State Assets, Jacek Sasin, signed an agreement on cooperation in the creation of a food holding company. It is to represent the interests of farmers, incl. counteracting price fixing.
The construction of Polski Holding Spożywczy is to be facilitated by the act passed in November concerning the takeover of agricultural companies by the Ministry of State Assets. The holding is to be a company built on the basis of Krajowa Spółka Cukrowa. The holding is to include, inter alia, such companies as: Małopolska Hodowla Roślin, Poznańska Hodowla Roślin, Kutnowska Hodowla Buraka Cukrowego, Pomorska-Mazurska Hodowla Ziemniaka, Animal Hodowla and Nasiennictwa Roślin Polanowice and Kombinat Rolny Kietrz.
During its first program convention in early December, AGROunia proposed to introduce the requirement: 70 percent. products in stores should be Polish products. He said in an interview with service portalspozywczy.pl Michael Kołodziejczak leader AGROunii, the point is that the strategic food products were not forced out of the market by foreign.
– We are not talking about distorted definitions of a Polish product of the type produced in Poland by foreign concerns. Polish pork, vegetables or fruit cannot be pushed out of the market by foreign products, as this may result in a collapse of domestic production. Shops use measures not to buy Polish products but foreign ones and thus make producers subordinate to themselves. These, in turn, give up production, which reduces our country’s food security. The 70 percent requirement of Polish products on the shelves is to contribute to the maintenance of this strategic production for Poland – he added.
AGROunia also wants two prices in stores – one to say how much the farmer receives for a given product, and the other to indicate the price for the consumer.
