Page 9 - ARUBA TODAY

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WORLD NEWS Wednesday 19 February 2020

Farmers block highways in

Spain to protest low food prices

By ALICIA LEÓN lenge for Spain's month-old tinue with the cultivation
NAVALMORAL DE LA MATA, coalition government as of tobacco," said Ramos.
Spain (AP) — Farmers in the European Union plans "People just can't go on,
fluorescent yellow vests to cut agricultural subsi- they go into the streets and
blocked highways in south- dies and the United States show their anger."
western Spain with tractors threatens to impose tariffs. Officials from Spain's main
and other vehicles Tues- Both trade unions and the agricultural organizations
day in the latest mass pro- government also blame met with members of three
test over what they say are major supermarket chains political parties in parlia-
plummeting incomes for for slashing prices on fruit ment on Tuesday and were
agricultural workers. and vegetables and forc- to have more talks later
Several labor unions called ing farmers to sell their with the Labor Ministry. The Farmers protest blocking the motorway near Navalmoral de
la Mata in Caceres province, Spain, on Tuesday, February 18,
for protest rallies, predomi- goods for less. unions met with the gov- 2020.
nantly in the Extremadura Jorge Garcia Luna, who ernment last week but con- Associated Press
region that borders Portu- grows almonds and olives, tinued their protests as no
gal, to demand govern- says that when big grocery farm support agreement said Tuesday that the gov- law that covers production
ment action to ensure more chains work to maximize was reached. ernment understood the and distribution to ensure
realistic retail prices for fruit their profits, the farmer be- Government spokeswom- farmers' plight. She said it agricultural workers get a
and vegetables. comes "the weakest link in an María Jesús Montero planned to modify a food fairer deal.q
Ángel García, head of the the chain."
regional young farmers as- "We are in a situation that
sociation Asaja, said about you can't afford to aban-
700 tractors blocked the don farming but you can't
roads and all farm workers afford to keep going," Gar-
in Extremadura were urged cia Luna said ahead of the
to strike. protest.
At a different protest loca- Industry officials say over-
tion on the other side of all farm income dropped
Spain, police tried to pre- by 9% in 2019, the Spanish
vent farm workers blocking daily El Pais reported.
both sides of the A7 high- Tobacco cooperative
way near the southeast- manager Jose Maria Ra-
ern town of El Ejido. Farm- mos says with export losses
ers also dumped crates of expected from Britain's de-
cucumbers and tomatoes parture from the EU and
onto roads and started a proposed 14% cut in EU
small fires. farm subsidies, farmers
Protests against high pro- have no choice but to pro-
duction costs and low pric- test.
es for farm produce almost "This is going to make it
daily have posed a chal- even more difficult to con-