The President of the Polish competition authority (UOKiK) has accused Bunge Polska and Procam Polska of unfairly using their contractual advantage against farmers. The allegations focus on contractual provisions that shifted the risk of force majeure events, such as droughts and frosts, onto the farmers.

UOKiK's investigation revealed that both companies included unfavorable terms in their contracts that penalized farmers for not fulfilling obligations due to circumstances beyond their control. Additionally, Procam Polska imposed an unreasonably short notification period for farmers to inform them of such force majeure events.

According to UOKiK, the unequal distribution of risk in these contracts may violate good practices and harm the interests of farmers. The authority emphasizes that farmers should not bear the financial consequences of adverse weather conditions alone, as these factors are often beyond their control.

Both Bunge Polska and Procam Polska are significant players in the European agricultural market, and the UOKiK President stated that their market power should not be used to impose unfavorable conditions on smaller suppliers. This is not the first time UOKiK has addressed the issue of unfair contractual practices against farmers, having previously penalized other companies for similar violations.

Farmers in the agricultural sector who feel that their larger partners are exploiting their position can report such practices to UOKiK through a newly launched online form.