Spanish fresh produce federation Fepex’s tomato committee, comprised of export associations from Murcia, Andalusia, Valencia and the Canary Islands, are seeking the backing of the presidents of Spain’s autonomous regions in their fight against a new EU trade deal with Morocco.
At a meeting this week, the committee called on Spain’s political parties to take a united stand to demand the revision of the current agreement of association with Morocco and work towards the rejection of the new deal in the European Parliament.
As a means of achieving this, the grouping said it would seek meetings with the presidents of the autonomous Spanish regions of Andalusia, Murcia, the Canary Islands and Valencia to relay the “extremely serious” situation facing Spanish tomato producers.
The Fepex committee claimed the current agreement of association was having “devastating consequences” for producers in the regions, leading to the loss of an estimated 12,500 jobs in areas with some of the highest unemployment in Spain.
“This situation is a result of the huge growth in Moroccan exports to the EU at ruinous prices that breach those established by the agreement, which has led to an unsustainable situation in all Spanish production zones,” Fepex said.
In fact, the committee claimed Moroccan tomato exporters passed the quota limit set out in the current trade deal by 120 per cent in October and 37 per cent in November, with Moroccan exports to Perpignan’s St Charles’ wholesale market quadrupling and quintupling during the months.
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