The Minister of Agriculture, Luis Plana, wants the regional governments to assume their share of responsibility in agricultural and livestock matters and become more involved in the needs of the countryside, which is maintaining a third week of mobilizations to protest their situation and the current CAP. Until now, the main target of farmers’ criticism has been the EU and the central government, but it also points to the autonomous communities as an essential part of the equation to resolve the sector’s difficulties.
In an appearance prior to the meeting that he will hold this afternoon with the communities in the Consultative Council to prepare the Council of Ministers of the EU on February 26, Planas has demanded that the autonomies make a greater effort in controlling food prices and of the application of the Chain Law. These are ultimately the ones who have to supervise its correct application, he has stated. Farmers have been demanding for years that an end to the sale at a loss and proper remuneration of their products by the food industry and distribution. Planas has also asked that the communities increase the financing of agricultural insurance.
The role of the regional executives, Planas insisted, cannot be limited to “sending certified letters” with requests to Madrid or Brussels or to “holding meetings of advisors with some EU commissioner that lead nowhere.” The minister stated that some communities are already more involved than others in seeking effective solutions.
It occurs in the control of prices at origin, since some autonomies have a structure for monitoring them and others do not, and also with agricultural insurance. Planas believes that they could increase their financial support to accompany the Government. He has stressed that the State assumes between 30% and 40% of financing, with 285 million euros last year, but at the regional level there is disparity. “There are communities that contribute a lot, with almost up to 10%, but others remain between 2% or 3% and I would like them to rise to the occasion.”
Pending the response from the communities this afternoon, the sector is preparing for a third week of mobilizations in Spain. Rallies are planned in several communities between today and tomorrow, as well as a large tractor rally in Madrid on Wednesday. In Catalonia, the Unió de Pagesos union is working on a joint protest with French farmers to cut the border in the Pyrenees.
