Tractor rallies arrive in Tenerife. Today, farmers and livestock breeders are protesting on the streets of the Tenerife capital after marching on Wednesday through Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. The island’s countryside joins the protests that have been taking place in many European capitals for weeks, which have also been occupying the streets of mainland Spanish cities in recent days. The rally is organized by ASAGA Canarias, COAG Canarias, AGATE, UPA, ASPA, PALCA, the Cooperative Society of Livestock Breeders of Gran Canaria and the Business Association of Livestock and Dairy Industries of Canarias (AEGIL), and it will also take place next Friday, March 1st, on the island of La Palma.
Under the slogan Canarian countryside takes a stand, producers will show their rejection today of a Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) that is increasingly “restrictive, regulatory, and limiting”, which, according to them, undermines their operability, ruins them, and encourages the abandonment of the countryside. They also reject the European Union’s attitude of “welcoming” imports from third countries “subject to less controls and with lower prices that compete with local productions.”
The producers aim to have citizens join the protests, so at the end of the route, they will hand out bananas and tomatoes to highlight “the local products” they are fighting for. Thus, Tenerife’s tractors set off at 11:00 today from the side of the capital’s Fairground to travel along Avenida de La Salle and San Sebastián towards the Nuestra Señora de África Market. Upon reaching this point, farmers and livestock breeders will proceed with the reading of the manifesto and the distribution of fruit to attendees.
With the tractors parading through the Tenerife capital, the organizers want to express their frustration and discontent over the crisis that the primary sector has been experiencing for several years. An economic downturn that, according to producers, is caused by excessive administrative bureaucracy, high production costs, income loss, and a significant drought that reduces yields, among other factors.
In this uncertain scenario regarding the future of a fundamental and strategic activity responsible for food production, the professional agrarian organizations convening the protest have drafted a manifesto in which they demand, among other things, that the European Union and the Spanish Government require identical quality, food safety, and environmental standards for imports from third countries.
One of the most repeated demands by the sector is for the halt of maritime goods transportation between Fuerteventura and Tarfaya “due to the high risk of introducing livestock pests and diseases,” as well as food products “treated with active substances banned in Europe.” Simultaneously, producers request increased inspections at Border Inspection Points.
The sector demands a halt to the maritime connection between Fuerteventura and Tarfaya due to the risk of pests
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To improve their incomes, which have been decreasing in recent years, farmers are requesting compliance with the agri-food chain Law to be “transparent” and to balance negotiation capabilities in the market with sufficient means to properly adopt the regulation, as well as more inspections.
Producers demand the creation of a Drought Committee and the promotion of reclaimed water
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With the anticipation of a water crisis, farmers and livestock breeders are calling for the continued and accelerated modernization and implementation of hydraulic infrastructures to guarantee the quantity and quality of this resource in coastal and midland areas. They point out that there must be a push for the use of reclaimed water in agricultural areas with higher demand, even on non-capital islands. The management of all this, they assert, should be done through a Drought Committee.
Canarian Entrepreneurs Support Protests by Farmers and Livestock Breeders
Business owners are backing the demonstrations by the primary sector that will pass through Santa Cruz de Tenerife today against the agricultural policies of the European Union and the excessive costs they face. Both CEOE Tenerife and the Chamber of Commerce of Santa Cruz de Tenerife have shown support for the demands.
Specifically, the executive committee of CEOE Tenerife commits to defending the demands before public institutions and society. Pedro Alfonso, president of CEOE Tenerife, stated that the demands are justified, especially those related to the need to compete on equal terms. In recent years, production costs in the Canarian primary sector have increased by 35%, while facing unfair competition from third countries.
On the other hand, the Chamber of Commerce unanimously supports the sector, as evidenced in its last plenary session. Santiago Sesé, president of the institution, stated that farmers and livestock breeders are “vital” for domestic consumption, reducing the Archipelago’s dependence on external sources, besides adding value to the brand as a tourist destination.
