Thousands of workers belonging to producer association Proexport will gather in Murcia on Wednesday for a demonstration demanding urgent government action to resolve the water crisis affecting the region’s horticultural sector.
Together with agricultural organisations Asaja, Coag, UPA and Fecoam and various ecological groups, Proexport is calling on the government to find a solution to the water shortage that is threatening the area’s fruit and vegetable production that is compatible with conservation of the Mar Menor, the largest saltwater lagoon in Spain.
The measures they are demanding include investment in infrastructure to prevent discharges into the Mar Menor from desalination plants; the implementation of properly funded environmental safeguards that are compatible with the development of local communities and guarantees on the quantity and quality of water for use in agriculture, tourism and industry in the Campo de Cartagena.
“We are under no doubt that if these measures are taken swiftly, thousands of livelihoods would be saved and the area would become a privileged haven for sustainable agriculture,” said Fernando Gómez, director of Proexport.
