About 200 farmers from the Spanish city of Almeria and representatives of fruit and vegetable companies led an agricultural strike followed by a demonstration around the port of the city.
The agriculture professionals demanded that Spanish authorities “comply and control imports from third countries,” including Morocco, based on agreements with the European Union. For the demonstrators, “the entry of these agricultural products contributes to the collapse of prices of the Spanish products.”
Among the demonstrators was the coordinator of the Coordination of Farmers’ and Breeders’ Organizations (COAG) in Almería, Andrés Góngora, who called for “stopping imports from countries outside the EU.”
Gongora urged the Spanish government to implement initiatives in the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission so that the European Union modulates the extra-Community agreements.
Morocco-Spain trade agreement
“From Asaja we do not agree with this trade agreement with Morocco, which remains unfulfilled, and we ask for a review of that agreement,” Antonio Navarro, the president of Asaja Almeria, echoed similar demands.
Navarro also called on the Spanish government to clarify its position on the reportedly ruinous effect of the Morocco-Spain trade agreement on local products.
The spokeswoman of the UPA Almeria, Francisca Iglesias, said that “an agreement must be reached, but it must be respected and must have a series of conditions that so far have not been met, such as quotas, payment of tariffs and border control.”
The agrarian organizations, which planned last week’s protest and have been protesting since November 2019, added that the situation has “worsened” in recent months with an increase in production costs for Spanish farmers.
The protesters are also calling for the resignation of Spain’s Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Luis Planas.
