Over a thousand members of Spanish agricultural union La Unió are reportedly expected to stage a demonstration in Madrid today (12 December) to protest against the significant rise in production costs that the sector has faced over the past year.
In a statement, the Valencia-based organisation said the event was being held to call for effective solutions from the Spanish government to deal with the “profound crisis” that was affecting growers and farmers.
“La Unió believes that the measures proposed by the authorities to date are makeshift, short-term solutions to deal with a crisis that is affecting all levels of the agricultural sector,” the group said.
Separately, La Unió, the Valencian Agricultural Association (Ava-Asaja) and the Union of Small Valencian Farmers (UPA-PV) have confirmed that Valencia’s citrus sector will be calling a general strike during the Christmas period to protest against the “collapse” of the region’s clementine and Navel campaign.
The groups said the strike was called to highlight the behaviour of Spanish and European fresh produce distributors and to raise awareness with the Spanish authorities, so that firm action could be taken in the short-term to help the sector.
The stoppage, the organisations said, would send a “clear message” to Spanish and European retailers that they had “broken the food chain by forcing the weaker link, the producers, to sell their products at a loss”.
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