The situation remains intricate, but the blockade and road blockages affecting Spanish trucks moving through France showed signs of easing this Tuesday as protests by French farmers intensified around Paris. That shift brought a modest rebound in both rural areas and the fruit and vegetable shops of Alicante province, where sellers hoped to capitalise on the pause to move more product. Yet the disruption also reverberates through industry, with textile firms reporting delays in delivering orders to European clients as the ripple effects linger.
On French soil, the protests have tangled agricultural activity in Alicante, slowing harvesting work for certain fruits and vegetables, citrus among them, and creating a backlog in the warehouses of exporting companies. Still, the daily situation evolves, and this Tuesday offered a hint of improvement. French unions’ decision to concentrate their protests around Paris contributed a small relief for the sector, providing a window of reduced tension for some commercial flows.
José Vicente Andreu, president of Asaja Alicante and a citrus producer in Vega Baja, described the mood: “Last week, panic spread that paralyzed harvests on several farms. This Tuesday, authorities urged continued work because although normality cannot be restored, shipments could resume on some routes where a degree of access is allowed.”
Francisco Oliva, an exporter from Camp d’Elx, notes that truck movement is gradually picking up, including in his own fleet, yet a sense of collapse remains. Handling and packaging are still carried out in his company’s warehouse. “We’re not back to full activity, but we’re operating at reduced capacity to keep up with orders,” he emphasizes.
Yet the ambiguity persists: “The uncertainty is enormous because we never know what French farmers will do from one day to the next.” Moreover, “goods arrive at least a day late, and some customers reject perishable products when timely delivery isn’t possible.”
The problem extends beyond agriculture. The blockade’s impact on France’s main roads and motorways has disrupted multiple industries. Pepe Serna, president of the Valencian Community Textile Entrepreneurs Association (Ateval), highlighted delays in some orders destined for various European markets, with some companies opting to postpone shipments. While footwear has not yet shown problems, industry observers warn that further disruptions could emerge if protests persist, given France’s status as a key customer base.
Spanish agriculture also mobilizes nationwide
Asaja, Coag and UPA, the leading farm associations, unveiled a plan for nationwide mobilizations aimed at influencing European Union policies and Spain’s central government. They call for measures to address unfair competition and the persistently low prices received by farmers, linking the issue to broader trade and regulatory frameworks. In a joint statement, they described the protests as a response to increasing frustration and strain created by regulations and bureaucratic barriers that hamper farm livelihoods.
Their demands include rethinking the liberalized market that allows cheap imports from third countries under unequal standards and reviewing trade agreements with Mercosur and New Zealand, while slowing or redefining negotiations with Chile, Kenya, Mexico, India and Australia. They also push for heightened controls on imports from Morocco and, at the national level, reform of the Agri-Food Chain Act so prices paid to farmers cover production costs.
There are calls to simplify bureaucratic procedures that burden professionals in the field as a practical relief step. The first regional actions are planned in the coming weeks, spotlighting a Valencian Community protest organized by AVA Asaja in the Castellón port on 15 February. Earlier, on the 7th, an event by La Unió was planned at the same location; another demonstration is slated for Madrid on the 21st, featuring a tractor-trailer. Carles Peris, secretary-general of La Unió, urged the EU to open a security corridor in France so Valencian agricultural products can access European markets more reliably.
Minister of Agriculture José Luis Aguirre condemned the attacks on the sector and urged the Spanish Government to seek protective measures from France.