The farmers have continued this Thursday, for the third consecutive day, with their protests in many areas of the countrywith the blocking of roads with tractors, barricades and pickets, while the Government redoubles its proposals with a call to address problems in the sector such as the lack of labor.
The Minister of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, Elma Saizhas called for agricultural organizations on February 13 to deal with the “labor problem” in the countryside and has estimated 100,000 jobs lost in this sector in ten years.
This action is added to the proposal made on Wednesday by the President of the Government, Pedro Sanchezwhen he committed to improving the functioning of the Food Chain Law.
Precisely, The Food Chain Observatory is also scheduled to meet next week, the collegiate body attached to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food that works to achieve a correct balance between the links in the chain. Meanwhile, Independent farmers and those convened by the professional agricultural organizations Asaja, COAG and UPA continue to carry out, in general, controlled actions with the blocking of roads with tractors, barricades or pickets.
Security forces have detained 20 people since Tuesday within the framework of the protests that farmers are carrying out in different parts of the country and have identified 5,264 for proposed administrative sanction.
According to these figures, 1,964 administrative complaints have been filed.
Has been specific blockades in logistics nodes, such as industrial estates, and tractor units have reached provincial capitals such as Salamanca, Logroño or Pamplona. There have also been demonstrations in the provinces of Granada, Almería, Valencia, Palencia and Huesca, and in the Principality of Asturias. In Ciudad Real, the province’s farmers and ranchers have taken to the streets with their tractors and unloaded a tanker of 25,000 liters of liquid that, according to Asaja, is French residual wine, which is used for other by-products.
The violent acts are more specific, highlighting this Thursday the police charges in the south of Badajoz where a civil guard has been injured while trying to avoid the blockage of the A-66 highway. This incident adds to those that took place on Wednesday in Antequera (Málaga), where several incidents and police charges occurred which resulted in one protester being arrested and at least two police officers injured.
The protests of these days already leave a balance of 19 people arrested since the beginning of the protests, on Tuesday; Likewise, 2,725 people have been identified and proposed for administrative sanction, 799 administrative complaints and 4,200 traffic complaints have been filed.
About 35 million euros of daily losses for transport
The Spanish Confederation of Goods Transport (CETM) has calculated that, if the French farmers’ conflict cost Spanish transport more than 120 million euros, and that of Spain is costing, with more than 75,000 trucks affected, 35 million a day on average.
The employers’ association has indicated that road closures continue on the second day of protests by Spanish farmers and, in addition, there is a threat to block the main logistics nodes, which continues to hinder the movement of trucks.
In fact, In the Valencian Community there have been incidents this Thursday in accessing supermarket distribution centersbut no supply problems in the stores, the region’s supermarket association has assured.
Supermarkets ask for free transit
After the protests spread to logistics nodes, the management of the Asedas supermarkets has asked the farmers for “responsibility” and the authorities for “guarantees” so that free movement is maintained and the rural protests do not collapse traffic and distribution.
The Minister of Transport, Oscar Puentehas picked up the gauntlet and has indicated that it will guarantee free movement on the roads “in application of the Law” and has stated that so far there is no shortage of products in the establishments, although they will be alert in case this changes.
In Murcia, for example, supermarkets have suffered small temporary incidents in the distribution of fresh products, since farmers’ protests have caused some delays in deliveries.
The autonomous administrative sphere continues to gain prominence in this context in which farmers continue calling for a more flexible EU “green” policy, fairer trade agreements and more aid. With these proposals, a group of independent farmers were presented this Thursday in the Catalan Parliament where they met with the president of the Chamber, Anna Erra.
The Basque Parliament, for its part, has committed to continue working, within the framework of its powers, to improve the profitability of the primary sector and guarantee its future.
The Government points to Vox
The debate continues in the political arena: the first vice president of the Government, Maria Jesus Monterohas accused Vox of trying to manipulate farmers to try to capitalize on the protests, and the president of the Junta de Andalucía, Juanma Moreno has asked the Executive for “quick, accurate and decisive decisions”.
For her part, the president of Navarra, María Chivite, has suffered an ‘escrache’ from farmers at the doors of her house two days after he assured not sharing the farmers’ demands in what concerns their community.
