Farmers protest across Spain as government says it supports the primary sector

Spain’s government on Tuesday ensured it was on the side of the primary sector and paid respect to farmers who have been demonstrating across the country, blocking roads and blocking access to cities and ports.

“We will always be where we have been, next to the primary sector, next to our farmers,” government spokeswoman Pilar Alegría told the Spanish executive’s weekly news conference after a Council of Ministers meeting in Madrid.

Pilar Alegría said the government, led by the Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE), “understands the problems of the sector” and is trying to respond to them by working “from the first minute” with farmers.

In this context, he emphasized that over the past two years the government has approved emergency measures to support the primary sector (agriculture and fisheries) worth more than 4 billion euros, which is due to the consequences of the war in Ukraine (in particular, rising prices for fertilizers) and drought .

The Ministry of Agriculture published on Tuesday, at the same time as farmers’ demonstrations across the country, a list of 140,000 farmers who received €270 million in aid due to the drought (an amount that had already been announced and approved).

The minister also referred to what she said was Spain’s commitment and participation in the negotiations on the new Common Agricultural Policy (PAC), which came into force last week and “brought €6,800 million to the nation’s farmers.”

“This has not been an easy debate,” stressed Pilar Alegría, reiterating that the government will remain on the side of farmers, “as it has demonstrated,” and that no other Spanish leader has ever given so much support to the sector.

Thousands of farmers protested across Spain on Tuesday, with tractors and other vehicles blocking roads and highways, as well as access to logistics centers, ports and cities.

Concentrations and slow tractor marches began at 07:00 local time (06:00 in Lisbon), and there are reports of demonstrations and blockades in at least 12 autonomous regions (Madrid, Andalusia, Murcia, Castile and Leon, Castilla-La-La. Mancha, Galicia, Extremadura, Valencia, Catalonia, Navarre, La Rioja and Aragon).

Last week, Spanish farmers have already held demonstrations in line with industry protests in other European countries whose main and common target is the policies of the European Union (EU). However, the number and scale of demonstrations have never been as large as this Tuesday.

Tuesday’s protests were largely unreported and unsanctioned by authorities and took place outside the organization of Spain’s major agricultural confederations, which have also announced demonstrations for the coming days and weeks.

Last Friday, agricultural organizations announced they would continue their protests after a meeting with Agriculture Minister Luis Planas.

The country’s three largest agricultural organizations (Asaha, UPA – Union of Small Farmers and Farmers and Coordinator of COAG – Organizations of Farmers and Farmers) explained in a statement that “the agricultural sector in Europe and Spain is facing disappointment and evil.” – are increasing due to difficult conditions and the stifling bureaucracy generated by European rules.”

After Friday’s meeting, Minister Luis Planas assured that the Madrid government will only support changes to the CAP that are “in line” with the interests of Spanish farmers.

Luis Planas also believes that Brussels “comes very late” with last week’s statements and came up with a proposal “very tailored to the needs” of the country that applied for it, with a hint of France.

The European Commission will prepare a proposal to reduce the administrative burden on farmers, which will be discussed by the 27 member states on February 26.