Spanish producers’ association Asaja Murcia has spoken out about the continuing effect on trade of last summers’ E Coli crisis, one year on from the outbreak of the disease which killed 50 people.
The organization said it was “unjust and inexcusable” that a year on the horticulture sector is still unfairly blamed for one of the worst crises in recent years which seriously damaged the sector’s reputation and further weakened growers who were already struggling commercially in the south-west Spanish region.
Asaja Murcia secretary general Alfonso Gálvez Caravaca said: “Growers in Murcia woke up at the end of May last year with a surprising health alert which put our whole fresh produce sector in jeopardy for months.
“Germany blamed, without any proof, cucumbers from Almeria for the outbreak which regrettably claimed German lives. Asaja sprang to a robust defence of the fresh produce sector and stood up for it in the face of such an inexcusable injustice.
“Unfortunately, the crisis caused enormous damage to our growers leading to millions of euros in losses and closed international markets bringing exports to a standstill.
“Despite the fact that Spain was in not responsible, our sector has never received an apology and the aid that was granted after the event has been completely inadequate.”
Gálvez Caravaca said that his organisation and growers in Murcia had “expected much more of the EU, that is why we are so disappointed as we do not feel protected by the EU which should have defended us in the face of such a wrong.”
He added that even a year later and despite public relations campaigns, Spanish producers have suffered from a situation that “brought their sector to the brink that never should have happened in the first place”.
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