The situation remains complex, but the blockade and attacks on Spanish trucks in France on roads were relaxed this Tuesday as protests by French farmers intensified around Paris. And this brought A slight recovery was seen in both the countryside and fruit and vegetable stores in the province of Alicante, is trying to sell its products in order to benefit from this impasse. But conflict also affects the industry; an example of this is the delays experienced by some textile companies in delivering orders to their European customers.
Protests on French soil have thrown the province’s agriculture into a tailspin, as harvesting duties for certain fruits and vegetables, especially citrus, have been paralyzed and activity in export companies’ warehouses has slowed down. accumulated. But the situation is changing day by day, and this Tuesday already looked different. The decision of French unions to concentrate their mobilization around Paris also provided a small respite for the sector..
This is also stated by José Vicente Andreu, president of Asaja Alicante, a citrus producer in Vega Baja. “Last week,” he says, “panic spread, which paralyzed crop harvests on some farms. But this Tuesday they told us to keep working because, Although it is impossible to return to normal in any way, it is exported because some roads are left open.”.
Francisco Oliva, an exporter from Camp d’Elx, admits that the circulation of trucks, including those in his company’s fleet, is starting to improve, but he assures that the collapse is still present. Handling and packaging tasks are also carried out in its own warehouse. “We don’t have our usual activities but we do We work at half-gas in case we have to keep up with orders.” he emphasizes.
But it doesn’t ring any bells because it claims: “The uncertainty is huge, given that we don’t know what French farmers will do from one day to the next.””. Additionally, “The products arrive at least a day late, so we see that some customers do not accept these products because they are perishable products.”
However, the problem is not specific to the agricultural sector, although it is the main victim. The industry is also suffering from the consequences of protests over the blockade affecting France’s main roads and motorways. Pepe Serna, President of the Valencian Community Textile Entrepreneurs Association (Ateval), emphasized that “There are delays in some of the orders sent to different European markets, and some companies prefer to postpone them.” No problems have been detected with the shoe yet, but the industry explains that problems will eventually come if the protests continue, considering that France is one of the main customers in the industry.
Spanish agricultural sector also calls for nationwide mobilization
Asaja, Coag and UPA organizations announced a nationwide mobilization schedule to demand changes in the policies of the European Union (EU) and the central government that serve to combat unfair competition and low prices received by farmers.
All three parties agreed this Tuesday to launch protests in line with producers in other EU countries in the face of “increasing frustration and unrest due to the difficult conditions created by regulations and stifling bureaucracy”, they said in a statement this Tuesday.
This includes taking action against a liberalized market importing from third countries at low prices and under unequal regulations, ratifying agreements with Mercosur and New Zealand, paralyzing negotiations with Chile, Kenya, Mexico, India and Australia, increasing controls on imports from Morocco, etc. . At the national level, they are demanding reform of the Agri-Food Chain Act so that prices paid to farmers cover production costs.
There are also demands for communities to simplify bureaucratic procedures that overwhelm professionals in the field.
The first events will be held on a regional scale in the coming weeks and will highlight a protest regarding the Valencian Community organized by AVA Asaja in the port of Castellón on 15 February. Previously, on the 7th, an event of La Unió was to be held in the same setting; This event was to be held on the 21st by the same organization in Madrid with the participation of a tractor trailer. Carles Peris, secretary general of La Unió, demanded on Tuesday that the EU open a security corridor in France for Valencian agricultural products to reach European markets.
Minister of Agriculture José Luis Aguirre condemned the attacks on the sector and asked the Spanish Government to request protective measures from the French.