The Spanish citrus sector is preparing for a national two-day strike on Thursday and Friday, severely disrupting production, packing and shipping operations.
The strike has been called by grower groups headed up by Ava-Asaja, Coag and Upa.
Producers are striking to draw attention to prices that are so low this season they are below cost levels.
At a meeting in Valencia on Tuesday (pictured), Cristobal Agauado, president of the Valencia growers’ association Ava-Asaja, called on all growers in the region to support the strike. “We have made a very serious commitment to back this strike and the prestige of the entire sector is at stake,” he told over 200 producers at the meeting. “We are going through the worst period for the citrus sector in the last 50 years - our very future is at risk.”
Growers want a minimum price of E0.20 a kilo for oranges and E0.25 for clementines. But the move could backfire on export markets, warn traders, as Moroccan supplies could fill gaps left by Spain.
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