The professional agricultural organization APAG Extremadura Asaja has joined the Independent Confederation of Employers and Self-Employed (CIEM) with the aim of strengthening the voice of the agricultural sector within the business framework of Extremadura.
The presidents of both entities, José Luis Iniesta (CIEM) and Juan Metidieri (APAG Extremadura Asaja), have announced this incorporation at a joint press conference in Mérida, in which they highlighted the alignment of their objectives and the appropriateness of acting in a coordinated manner in the face of the challenges that both agricultural holdings and the rest of business activities face.
The entry of APAG Extremadura Asaja into CIEM represents an explicit recognition of the role of farmers and ranchers as a key piece in the economy of Extremadura, since they are professionals who invest, create jobs, introduce innovation, and take on "risks" in order to carry out their work, as both organizations underline in a press release.
At the same time, this integration increases CIEM’s sectoral plurality, which already brings together 75 business organizations and more than 30,000 companies and self-employed workers in the region.
The president of CIEM, José Luis Iniesta, has recalled that since the confederation was launched in 2023, they considered that a "cross-cutting" and "inclusive" project like theirs had to incorporate a sector "essential" to the regional economy, such as the countryside.
Iniesta has stressed that behind each agricultural holding, investment, financing, contracting, and marketing decisions are made, and that the continuity of families and other related businesses depends on it. He has also emphasized the urgency of offering future horizons to young people called upon to guarantee generational renewal.
"Agriculture and livestock farming sustain jobs and opportunities in our towns. And from there they also sustain the region’s economy and share challenges with the rest of the business fabric. That is where working together makes us stronger and more useful," the top manager of CIEM has stated.
For his part, the president of APAG Extremadura Asaja, Juan Metidieri, has detailed that they join CIEM because it is the business organization with which they identify "most" and in which, in his view, the interests of farmers and ranchers are "best represented."
Metidieri has also defined CIEM as the entity that has “legitimacy and representativeness,” as was highlighted in the last electoral process of the Badajoz Chamber of Commerce and that “demonstrates a genuine concern for the problems of the business community in Extremadura.”
APAG Extremadura Asaja brings together some 5,000 members in the province of Badajoz and has an extensive presence throughout the territory. Its work combines the institutional defense of the agricultural sector, technical and administrative support for professionals, and the demand for policies that ensure the economic viability of farms and the future of the rural areas of Extremadura. It integrates the Asaja coalition, which achieved the greatest backing in the latest elections to the countryside in Extremadura.
The arrival of APAG Extremadura Asaja to CIEM brings specific sector knowledge, extensive experience, and a “direct” relationship with thousands of field professionals. For the agricultural organization, this alliance allows it to take part in a shared business forum from which to strengthen the defense of its interests and address common needs with other productive sectors.
Boost to the development and industrialization of Extremadura
This integration also aligns with the strategy of the Confederation to promote the industrialization of Extremadura and to ensure that a greater share of the value added generated by production stays in the community. The agricultural sector is considered an “essential” basis for driving business growth and launching new economic initiatives.
In this context, both organizations agree on the importance of having effective infrastructures, energy at competitive prices, electrical grids sized to capacity, training adapted to professional demands, and an administration that facilitates the arrival and consolidation of investments.
CIEM has expressed its gratitude for the confidence placed by APAG Extremadura Asaja and has reiterated its “commitment” to reciprocate this support with “listening, work, and proposals.”