The scene blended music and protest as Chayanne’s Torero, Camela, and Vicente Fernández’s El Polvorete drifted through the air. The gathering, organized by Unión de Uniones in central Madrid, moved from the Ministry for Ecological Transition to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, turning into a village festival of joy, color, and song. Yet the crowd wasn’t as large as in past demonstrations. The organizers reported about 1,000 farmers and 120 tractors, down from the anticipated 10,000 people and 1,500 agricultural vehicles at Paseo de la Castellana. In contrast, the Madrid government delegation counted 450 participants and 78 tractors, two fewer than the number allowed for the march between the two ministries. The last Unión de Uniones protest on February 21 in the capital drew as many as 4,000 farmers with hundreds of tractors. Source: Unión de Uniones
For the second consecutive time and the third in a year, Unión de Uniones urged workers in the primary sector to voice concerns to the two ministries they say are hampering farmers. Most participants hailed from Castile-La Mancha, Madrid Community, and Castile and Leon, though banners also appeared from Valencia and Asturias. Fernando Marrón, the regional coordinator for USAGA in Asturias, described the mood as increasingly difficult. “Livestock farming is vanishing and the issues are the same; the two ministries are not making decisions,” he said. Soaring production costs have made the dairy sector’s outlook unsustainable in the region, and there is a push to lower milk prices for consumers. “We want society to understand this crisis; what people will eat is cheap food that does not meet the standards we are held to—this affects health,” he added. Source: Unión de Uniones
Unlike other Madrid demonstrations by rural workers, this Sunday’s rally carried a festive and family-friendly vibe. Children joined their parents and grandparents to hold signs defending the countryside, with some climbing onto tractors for a closer look. Cristina, a mother from Cuenca, explained, “The countryside needs broad support.” She joined the march with friends and their kids, all wearing hopeful expressions. The event started with a donation of 150 liters of olive oil and six sacks of 25 kilograms each of potatoes to the NGO Mensajeros de la Paz, led by Father Ángel, to illustrate that olive oil should be affordable for families. An initial plan to also collect blood after the rally was canceled due to permission issues from the Madrid government delegation. Source: Unión de Uniones
PAC, unfair competition and losses in sales
The march carried the banner “We still have plenty of reasons,” echoing earlier protests with slogans like “No to the 2030 agenda,” “A living rural world without alms,” and “Excess paperwork, not enough solutions.” The caravan of farmers and ranchers returned to central Madrid to demand reforms to the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), the banning of mirror clauses, and a firm prohibition on loss-leading sales enshrined in the Agricultural Chain Law. Luis Cortés, Unión de Uniones’ national coordinator, criticized the Mercosur trade agreement, arguing that it should not be approved under the current terms. “Do we want a Mercosur deal? Yes. Under the same rules that apply to us,” he stated, adding that if a clembuterol-free standard is mandatory for cattle in the EU, similar rules must apply to beef in Argentina. Jesús Manuel Palacín, Unión de Uniones representative in Castilla y León, echoed the need for consistent international rules. Source: Unión de Uniones
During the protest, participants called for concrete measures beyond the “band-aid” 18 proposals put forward by the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas, and a common agricultural policy that protects the sector. “If we want environmental policies, they must be independent of a purely agrarian framework,” remarked another union leader. Alfredo Berrocal, Madrid’s Unión de Uniones head, added, “If the countryside cannot produce, the city cannot eat.” The message was clear: protests would continue until Planas sits down with genuine farmer representatives and stops offering only temporary fixes. Source: Unión de Uniones