French farmers intensified demonstrations and key border routes faced road closures, disrupting the export of winter vegetables and citrus from rural Alicante during the peak season. The disruption has drawn concern from the sector’s main organizations, including Asaja Alicante and the provincial transport employers association, Fetrama. They advised partners to postpone nonessential travel and to seek safe passage through neighboring countries where possible.
At present, there is no evidence that any of the trucks attacked in recent days belong to the Alicante company, according to the general secretary of Fetrama, Antonio Gabaldón. Despite this, the situation is causing growing strain on transporting businesses and their operations.
With normal traffic stalled, delivery deadlines are slipping, Gabaldón explains, outlining the days of disruption and the impact of the road closures that intensified today. Thanks to the efforts of Alicante-based hauliers, the worst effects have been mitigated so far, though some operators are forced to navigate the situation by moving at night and avoiding busy corridors.
Some problems were reported, including incidents where trucks were diverted by French police onto secondary routes, where narrow stretches made safe passage difficult for large vehicles, according to the company spokesperson.
Farmers blocked a road in France. AFP
From Fetrama and the national employers’ association, there were calls to colleagues to postpone trips as much as possible. The message, while not universally successful, reflected the urgency to weather the protests. Antonio Gabaldón noted that many companies are in the middle of the high season and cannot simply stop operations.
Vegetables and citrus fruits
The situation is also worrying for Alicante farmers who are in the midst of the winter vegetable campaign and the citrus season. Asaja Alicante’s president, José Vicente Andreu, stresses that during this period parts of Europe still produce significant amounts of vegetables, with Alicante, Murcia, and the nearby Almería region standing out as key production centers. The blockade threatens a campaign that had started strongly, he adds.
In Elche’s countryside, crops such as artichokes, broccoli, and cauliflowers are grown alongside citrus fruit, including tangerines, oranges, and lemons. These products are among the main sales points in foreign markets, making the blockade especially disruptive for export-oriented growers.
Andreu points out that the severity of the disruption will depend on its duration. For now, there is adequate room to harvest, process, and store crops, but if closures persist beyond a week, serious bottlenecks will emerge and storage capacity could be stressed.
An artichoke farm in the Marina district of Elche. Axel Alvarez
Famine
The real concern centers on Central European markets that receive these exports. Asaja Alicante’s president laments the potential damage caused by the French stance and warns that a shift away from fresh products could become a pressing issue for importing countries, especially as demand responds to seasonal patterns and supply gaps elsewhere.
New attacks on Spanish trucks by French farmers have raised alarm about the resilience of supply chains. The agriculture and food sector accounts for a significant share of Alicante’s exports, contributing a substantial portion of the province’s annual revenue. Total sales in the last year reached nearly 1.8 billion euros through September, with a large portion generated in January and February when demand is high and production ramps up across the winter season. Local products remain popular because of limited continental production during colder months.
The agricultural sector relies heavily on trucking in the province. In the Fetrama network alone, thousands of active trucks support both domestic and international movement, with a sizable share holding community licenses that enable cross-border transport to Europe. While the precise number of vehicles currently operating in France is unknown, the sector remains deeply exposed to political and logistical disruptions that affect routes and availability of drivers and vehicles.