The protest of the Spanish agricultural sector has already been ongoing for a month and a half, and according to the plans of agricultural organizations, they will continue to be held up to even the first week of May.
Tractor demonstration called by ASAJA, UPA, COAG, and Cooperativas Agro-alimentarias de Andalucía on February 20 in Granada.
"We are not going to stop protesting because there are issues that need to be addressed immediately," says Jaime Martínez-Conradi, managing director of Cooperativas Agro-alimentarias de Andalucía. "One of them is the water policies, which need to be radically reformed. We can't afford to be caught in a clash between different administrations because water should not be used as a weapon by Councils and Ministries, nor should it be a source of conflict between territories. Without water, it would be basically impossible to remain profitable, which is what we are aiming for, and we want them to understand that."
"We also insist on the need for clarity regarding the Chain Law. The Government keeps saying it is the solution, and we can only wish it was. But as it is, it is no good, because, in our opinion, it's not realistic to impose some minimum costs for selling if the entry of products from third countries at a cheaper price than our production is also allowed," he says.
Protest called by ASAJA, UPA, COAG and Cooperativas Agro-alimentarias de Andalucía on March 20 in Seville.
"The law of supply and demand should work, but to that end, mirror clauses need to exist. The Spanish sector is eminently export-oriented. We produce to feed Spain, Europe, and the rest of the world. That's why we want to make it clear that we are not refusing others the right to export their productions or rejecting the entry of third countries' productions to the EU. What we want is for them to adhere to the same phytosanitary, labor, and social requirements that are demanded of us."
"So far, the European Union has been enforcing quotas (which limit the number of tons entering Europe from third countries) and tariffs, or imposing treatments, like cold treatment for oranges. These rules have been established in the framework of trade agreements, so mirror clauses could also be established, and these would greatly help alleviate the problems we have. This is, in fact, the biggest demand from the fruit and vegetable sector."
Tractor demonstration called by ASAJA, UPA, COAG, and Cooperativas Agro-alimentarias de Andalucía on February 14 in Seville.
Another complaint from the sector is the excessive bureaucracy. "We are being crushed with demands and regulations," says Jaime Martínez-Conradi. "The digital notebook and an amazingly complicated CAP are putting an extra administrative burden and, in many cases, making it necessary to hire third parties to manage it all. To this, we must add the restrictions on the allowed active substances, while at the same time, everything is entering through the Netherlands without issue and without having to meet the same requirements."
"This situation is leading to more and more farms being abandoned and to fewer and fewer young people wanting to start new ones. Agricultural producers are obviously highly interested in protecting the environment and ensuring a future for our children, but we need the administrations to make an effort to understand what we are asking for because anyone willing to listen will see that all our demands make perfect sense."
"If Europe wants to protect its producers, who are feeding more than 500 million people, and not be dependent on third countries, some policies will need to be changed."
For more information:
Cooperativas Agro-alimentarias de Andalucía
https://www.agroalimentarias-andalucia.coop