Balearic farmers take cost fight to Madrid tractor protest

Mallorca and the other Balearic Islands face higher farming costs: a delegation from the islands heads to a tractor protest in Madrid on Wednesday, 28 October, to demand action. The Balearic branch of the Agrarian Association of Young Farmers (Asaja) is joining farmers and livestock breeders from across Spain. The protest is due to end outside Spain’s Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

Why island farmers say costs hit harder

Asaja Baleares president Joan Company says the cost of operating on islands makes production more expensive. Farmers also struggle to compete, he says, while their profit margins grow tighter.

The groups want lower production costs, tax relief on agricultural diesel and help with the rising price of fertiliser, energy and animal feed. They also want prices that cover farmers’ costs and a sufficient budget for the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy, its farm policy.

Imports and paperwork on the list

Asaja, the Coordinator of Farmers’ and Livestock Breeders’ Organisations (COAG) and Unión de Uniones have called the protest. They want food supply chain law enforced and imported products, particularly those from Mercosur countries and Morocco, to meet the same requirements as European goods.

They also want less paperwork so farmers can spend more time on their holdings. Asaja Baleares says the protest is a chance to make the sector’s concerns visible and demand concrete answers. Company says farmers are not seeking privileges: they want to earn a living from their work.

Topics: Protests · Agriculture

Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com