European growers have been protesting this week over a range of issues from dissatisfaction with prices and the supply chain to the trade deal with Morocco.
In France, leafy salad producers in the south east of the country have simply refused to sell their products because prices offered have been so far below the cost of production. Angelique Delahaye of the national vegetable growers’ federation FNPL told FPJ: “We support them in this action. Packers as well as supermarkets have been putting pressure on producers over price and they have rebelled and are refusing to cut their produce at prices below cost.”
Delahaye said that the market situation is extremely difficult, with production benefiting from a milder than usual January, but consumption suffering a slump. “Prices climbed a little at the weekend because of the action, but you have to remember that the situation for growers in France is catastrophic, with growers caught between the rock of the supermarkets and hard place of their competitors in Germany and Spain.”
In Italy, Tiberio Rabboni, agriculture secretary for the regional executive in the major production region of Emilia-Romagna, has called for better balance in commercial relationships. “In Italy, just as in France, we urgently need a law to regulate the relationships between growers of fruit and vegetables and the major multiples,” Rabboni explained.
“This would re-establish transparent commercial practices and address a series of imbalances… that penalise unjustifiably the side of the grower.”
Earlier this month, 300 Spanish citrus growers dumped oranges at Aldi and Lidl stores in protest at below production-cost returns.
Their stance comes as the debate over the introduction of the UK supermarket adjudicator saw heated exchanges in parliament (see page 8).
Meanwhile in Spain, a host of producer associations have come together in support of an initiative against the EU trade deal with Morocco, set to be ratified next month. The organisations - including Fepex, Asaja and Coag - are calling on the Spanish government and Spain’s MEPs to throw out the new agreement, which they believe would have “a serious impact” on Spanish growers, putting their future in danger while “liberalising” Moroccan exports to the EU.
