The Agrarian Association of Young Farmers of the Balearic Islands (Asaja-Balearic) has communicated that it will participate in the tractor demonstration called in Madrid on October 28 by the main agrarian organizations, in protest against the structural costs "derived from insularity."
The mobilization, organized by Asaja, the Coordinator of Organizations of Farmers and Ranchers (COAG), and Union of Unions, will have a delegation from the Balearic entity that will travel to the capital to join the protest, which will conclude in front of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food.
In a statement, Asaja-Balearic explained that the march will take place under the slogan "We produce your food, we deserve to live from our work" and seeks to demand answers regarding the "continued increase" in production costs, the decline in the profitability of farms, and the "uncertainty that conditions the future of the sector."
"The rise in the price of diesel, fertilizers, animal feed, and energy reduces the economic margins of farms, while the prices received by producers do not always cover expenses," the organization has pointed out.
The reivindicative act will revolve around five major demands, including the implementation of an emergency plan against the increase in production costs, which includes the creation of a professional agricultural diesel with reduced and stable taxation, and with direct bonuses at the time of refueling, instead of "depending exclusively on temporary aid."
The calling entities also demand a "strong" Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), with a "sufficient" budget and "without cuts," that "guarantees support for producers' income."
In the case of the Balearic Islands, Asaja emphasizes the importance of the next CAP taking into account the specificities and the additional costs of production in the islands.
The rest of the requests aim to ensure fair prices and to effectively enforce the food chain law, in order to avoid "unfair competition" arising from trade agreements with third countries, especially with Mercosur and Morocco, as well as to "reduce bureaucracy and administrative obligations that hinder the daily work of farms."