The Polish government has made two concessions in an attempt to push the controversial new animal welfare law through parliament. Prime Minister Morawiecki states that the law will only come into effect in January 2022 to give farmers and fur breeders more time to implement changes.
Additionally, the proposed export ban on ritually slaughtered meat would not apply to poultry. Yesterday, Prime Minister Morawiecki and Agriculture Minister Puda also promised compensation for those farmers who would be unable to modify their branches, but protesting Polish farmers remain skeptical of these declarations.
It is unclear whether these concessions will remove objections in the Upper House, which began a decisive debate and vote on Wednesday. Yesterday, about 60,000 farmers protested in Warsaw, opposing many provisions of this law. They also demonstrated last week with tractors and by setting up roadblocks.
Farmers from various Polish regions arrived in Warsaw on Tuesday, accompanied by unions, agricultural organizations, hunters, and veterinarians.
Prior to the debate, PiS chairman and Deputy Prime Minister Jarosław Kaczyński said he does not intend to withdraw his plans. According to him, there is an urgent need to modernize the largely small-scale, outdated Polish agricultural sectors.
The persistent outbreaks of African Swine Fever and recurring Avian Influenza have been used by many Poles as an argument for stricter government regulations and controls in the vast Polish countryside.
The currently proposed ban on ritual slaughter is seen as a covert ban on the export of Polish meat to Islamic countries. It would also mean the end of the Polish chicken industry, although a possible exception is now being considered.
The debate in the Senate in Warsaw is very lively because senators from both the coalition and opposition are divided over this bill, and the outcome of the vote will remain unknown until the end. A great deal of pressure is being applied to senators by protesting farmers in Warsaw, who are demanding the rejection of this law.
Polish farmers view the recommendation from the Agriculture Committee to reject the bill in its entirety as a positive sign. A similar earlier version of a strict agricultural law was also rejected a few years ago.