Farmers of the country mobilize in Mérida to demand solutions to the crisis

Thousands of farmers and cattlemen, summoned by Asaja, Coag, Upa and Agro-alimentarias cooperatives, agricultural organizations are today concentrated against the Palace of congresses and exhibitions of Merida, coinciding with the celebration of the Council of Ministers of Agriculture of the European Union in the city of Extremadura. With this deployment, agricultural and cooperative organizations claim to the Commissioner for agriculture, Dacian Ciolos and the Ministers of the 27 related to the sector, a common agricultural policy (Cap) strong and solid, beyond the year 2013. In particular, agricultural entities require a cap with a sufficient budget to ensure the maintenance of a sector vital for rural areas and strategic for the society. Among other things, require a decisive commitment to Community preference, a tight control of imports, establishment of market regulation measures, redesign of the mechanisms of intervention with same conditions of production and health guarantees for products from third countries. Also, since organizations are also claim fair prices for agricultural and livestock productions, linked to the costs of production, to ensure the income in the field. Here, calls for greater participation of the primary sector in the value chain food, putting end to the abuses of power by large food distribution chains. With this Act of protest, Asaja, Coag and Upa and Agro-alimentarias cooperatives stressed the strategic nature of the agricultural sector to ensure food security for the 500 million consumers in the European Union.