The Agrocereale administration acknowledges that the order’s objective—to protect road infrastructure during heat waves—is legitimate and necessary. “However, the current application of these provisions is creating serious difficulties in carrying out the grain harvest campaign,” the statement reads.
The Core of the Problem
Currently, the restrictions apply to all vehicles with a gross weight exceeding 12 metric tons. Although the order provides for exceptions for the transport of agricultural products, in practice difficulties arise when empty trucks travel to the fields to pick up the harvested crop.
Most trucks used to transport grain weigh about 15–20 metric tons even when unloaded. In this situation, they exceed the limit set by the order—solely for design reasons.
Impact on the Harvesting Season
Representatives of the grain industry warn that this situation could have significant consequences for the entire logistics chain:
- delays in transporting grain from the field;
- increased combine downtime and reduced harvesting efficiency;
- a temporary shortage of available trucks;
- higher transportation costs for farmers and traders;
- traffic jams on roads, at grain elevators, border crossings, and port terminals before 10:00 a.m. and after 8:00 p.m.;
- reduced competitiveness of agricultural exports during a period when delivery times directly affect the quality and price of grain;
- in high-temperature conditions, every hour of delay can lead to a loss of quality and additional costs for producers.
Proposed Solutions
Agrocereale’s leadership believes that the goal of protecting roads can be achieved without harming agricultural activities and proposes considering several options:
* raising the threshold from 12 metric tons to approximately 18–20 metric tons for vehicles traveling empty to agricultural land;
* introducing an exemption for empty trucks traveling to harvest agricultural produce;
* issuing official guidance on the application of the existing exemption for agricultural transport so that it also covers vehicles necessary for harvesting.
The association emphasizes that the grain harvest period is one of the most critical and shortest phases of the agricultural year, and the efficient functioning of logistics is of paramount importance for farmers and traders, as well as for processors and exporters.
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