Alfalfa imports from Southern Europe

The Allegations of a “Scandal of the Decade”

The controversy began when reports from wPolityce.pl and wPolsce24 television suggested that the capital’s city hall was purchasing animal feed from Germany. The media outlets claimed that “hay from Germany ordered by Rafał Trzaskowski is on its way to Warsaw,” citing a bill of lading that reportedly showed a shipment loaded in western Germany near Cologne. The reports framed the situation as a matter of economic mismanagement, suggesting that the Warsaw Zoo—which operates as a budgetary unit directly subordinate to the city president and the city council—was bypassing domestic suppliers in favor of foreign products.

Distinguishing Hay from Alfalfa

The Warsaw Zoo quickly moved to correct the narrative, making a sharp distinction between the zoo’s basic dietary supplies and the specialized needs of its exotic residents. According to Wprost, the facility confirmed it has contracted 90 tons of hay from a Polish farmer this year to serve as a primary dietary component for herbivorous animals. The confusion appears to stem from the zoo’s procurement of alfalfa, a specific type of dried forage required by animals such as giraffes and bongo antelopes. The zoo explained that when local weather conditions prevent Polish farmers from producing alfalfa of the necessary quality or quantity, the facility must import high-quality dried alfalfa from Southern Europe. To manage the logistics of these imports, the zoo utilizes a German distributor to facilitate transport. The zoo noted that such international transport is a significant expense, leading various zoos to arrange joint shipments to share costs.

Trzaskowski’s Sarcastic Rebuttal

Rafał Trzaskowski did not mince words when responding to the accusations, using his social media presence to mock the gravity of the media’s “investigation.”

“One of the right-wing editorial offices, as part of a very serious investigation, sniffed out a topic that—trusting the tone of the publication and the content of the ‘horror strips’—could be the scandal of the decade.”

Rafał Trzaskowski, via WP The Mayor emphasized that the specialized diet of exotic animals cannot be replaced by local staples.

“I would be delighted if giraffes and bongo could enjoy some local sour rye soup. Unfortunately, they prefer alfalfa, the best quality of which is provided by countries from Southern Europe. And that is also where the product purchased by our zoo, which one of the right-wing editorial offices is so excited about, comes from.”

Rafał Trzaskowski, via Fakt In a final jab at the journalists who raised the issue, Trzaskowski offered an ironic perspective on the supposed loss of German resources.

“Even if the hay were actually from Germany, shouldn’t we all be happy that Germany has less and less hay?”

Rafał Trzaskowski, via Wprost

The Economic Patriotism Debate

While the zoo has provided a logistical explanation, the incident has reignited debates regarding economic patriotism and the support of domestic agriculture. Critics, as noted by wGospodarce, argue that imports from Germany represent a failure to prioritize Polish farmers, even when domestic alternatives exist. The scale of Poland’s agricultural capacity provides context to this tension. Data from the Central Statistical Office (GUS) highlights the vastness of the domestic market that such procurement decisions impact:

• Poland maintains approximately 8–9 million hectares of meadows and pastures.
• Annual hay production averages between 8–10 million tons.
• As of 2023, there are approximately 1.2 million agricultural holdings in Poland.

The friction between the city’s logistical requirements for specialized animal care and the political demand for domestic-only sourcing suggests that this “hay scandal” is less about animal nutrition and more about the ongoing struggle over economic identity in Polish public procurement.