Spanish farmers join wave of protests

Spanish farmers have joined their European counterparts in protests across the country.

Like European countries, they want more flexibility from the European Union, tighter controls over non-EU agricultural products and more support from governments.

Roads were closed in some areas, causing severe confusion for motorists.

A large demonstration is planned in central Madrid later this month.

On Tuesday, farmers took to the streets of the agricultural region of Spain’s northern interior, driving tractors in convoys, honking horns, waving Spanish flags and brandishing placards.

They also held protests in northeastern Catalonia, southern Andalusia and the western region of Extremadura.

Spanish farmers share similar grievances with farmers in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy and other countries who have been protesting recently.

They say regulations that form part of the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and high fuel and energy costs make it difficult to make a profit.

“When it comes to producing wheat and barley, the costs are very high,” said Esteban, a grain farmer who declined to give his last name and was protesting in Aranda de Duero. “We have to pay for fertilizers, pesticides, fuel. It is costing us our lives. We have to pay very high prices and we sell at low prices. I am.”

Protesting French farmers accused Spanish producers of not fully complying with EU rules and hurting productivity. Last week, former French minister Ségolène Royal caused controversy when she claimed that Spain’s organic tomatoes are “fake organic”. Amid an angry backlash from Spain’s food and agriculture industry, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez invited Royale to try Spanish tomatoes.

However, Spain’s agricultural sector has leveled similar criticism at non-EU countries such as its neighbor to the south, Morocco, which is not subject to the same environmental and sanitary regulations as European producers and has lower prices. They claim that they are able to sell agricultural products that are of the highest quality.

“We have to go through a lot of controls, a lot of sanitary regulations that our products are manufactured under. [non-EU countries] are not covered,” said Estrela Pérez, who grows livestock and grains.

“We just want a future in agriculture, and we don’t see it at the moment.”

The plight of Spain’s farmers has been exacerbated by the drought. Many parts of the country have not received normal levels of rain in recent months, which has affected harvests. Spain is the world’s largest producer of olive oil, but prices are soaring due to low production volumes. Last week, Catalonia declared a state of emergency due to a three-year drought, the longest on record.

Elsewhere, Italian farmers have been gathering from north to south for a week, also protesting against EU regulations and red tape. They are scheduled to gather in Rome this weekend.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has backed the EU’s Green Deal, saying it would disproportionately hit farmers’ livelihoods. But farmers are also concerned about the government’s plans to end tax subsidies for the agricultural sector.

On Tuesday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced that she wanted to withdraw the plan to reduce pesticide use, calling it a “symbol of polarization”.

Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo welcomed the announcement, saying: “As part of our determination to achieve the Green Deal, it is important that we continue to move farmers towards a more sustainable agricultural future.”