The sector citrus in Spain is still mired in one of the worst crisis suffered in the last decade. The impossibility to obtain profitable numbers to the harvest of orangesAbove all, it is depleting many farmers. These look unable to compete in prices with the products that arrive exported from other countries. For that and other problems, hundreds of orange vests They are at war.
Hundreds of 'citrus growers' demonstrated last Tuesday 19 in front of the headquarters of the European Commission en Madrid. They did it under the agrarian grouping Asaja to protest the serious situation that the sector is going through in Spain. Workers from Murcia, Catalonia, Andalusia and the Valencian Community. Everyone to the fight for the same cause, asking for solutions.
The orange vests and their requests
Under slogans like «The field is dying, and you?»Or "Our future is at stake!" the protesters reflected their discontent on their posters. Meanwhile, they distributed oranges to people passing through the streets. This was the scene seen in a protest that demanded solutions at various points.
"Citrus is going through a crisis that could lead to the abandonment of many farms," warned the President of Asaja, Pedro Barato. All for one pricing policy "Abusive" towards producers, as well as pests that crops undergo "every nine months." Farmers ask "to increase border control to prevent the entry of these pests."
As for prices, the agricultural organization itself assures that they have fallen this season until almost 50% in mandarins (variety clemenules) and a 40% in the navelina orange. Thus, Spanish citrus fruits are displaced by exports received from South Africa, especially. But also Morocco, Egypt, Brazil, Argentina or Turkey.
Those oranges and other exported foods do not comply with the same regulations regarding occupational safety, environment and phytosanitary rules. Hence they have some lower prices with which these can not compete orange vests Spanish people.
As a result, Asaja requires a detailed report of this impact from third countries and a review of the Common Organization of Markets (CMO). Also a law for the food chain at the European level, among other requests.
For now, the orange vests have to wait for a response from Brussels faced with a serious situation that can be fatal for the Spanish countryside.
