The top leaders in Castilla and León of Asaja, UCCL, and COAG have urged farmers and ranchers in the Community to join the large tractor parade and demonstration called for this Wednesday, October 28, in Madrid, reminding of the key role that cereal plays in the agrarian economy of Castilla and León.
Under the slogan "Feeding must provide a living," the organizers will demand urgent measures to stop the escalation of production costs and the loss of profitability of the farms. The organizations anticipate a very large presence of professionals from Castilla and León, who will march behind a specific banner that will group the attendees from the region.
The agricultural entities maintain that the mobilization on the 28th goes beyond the demands of the countryside, warning that a drop in national production would increase dependence on other countries and call into question the current food model.
The regional president of Asaja, Donaciano Dujo, has pointed out that this will be the fifth protest in which the professional agricultural organizations of the Community participate, following the four already held in Castilla and León, and has warned that, "if things do not change," it will not be the last call.
Dujo has focused much of his criticism on the situation of cereal and has pointed out that the sector faces the 2026-2027 campaign with the highest known costs to date. He detailed that planting a hectare of dryland currently requires an outlay of between 900 and 1,000 euros, while fertilizers are around 600 euros per ton and cereal is paid about 220 euros per ton.
The leader of Asaja has recalled that the organizations estimate the losses from the last harvest at more than 300 million euros and has warned of a possible new cut in the area dedicated to cereal. He reminisced that Castilla and León once surpassed two million hectares, compared to approximately 1.55 million in the last campaign, and has warned that this year it may not reach 1.2 million.
At the meeting in Madrid, the organizations will demand from the Government an immediate shock package that includes the implementation of a professional agricultural diesel with reduced and stable taxation. They demand specific aid for diesel that covers 70% of the actual extra costs borne by the farms.
Another of the major demands is to maintain the current model of the CAP and achieve "sufficient budgets" that allow sustaining the agricultural fabric. The next CAP "cannot become a residual policy," Dujo has pointed out, who calls for an agricultural policy with its own funds, adequate and without cuts in real terms. At the same time, he demands fair prices and a truly effective Food Chain Law for the producer.
This regulation, he has insisted, must guarantee respect for the effective production costs, balanced contracts, and review mechanisms when those costs soar. Dujo has emphasized that "purchasing below costs must be prohibited."
The fourth axis of the demands presented this Wednesday focuses on unfair competition arising from some trade agreements, such as Mercosur. They consider it unacceptable that increasingly strict requirements are imposed on national farmers while facilitating the entry into the EU of products from third countries obtained under much less demanding conditions.
Finally, Dujo has called on behalf of the three organizations for a drastic reduction of bureaucracy, denouncing that administrative burdens continue to grow while there is a lack of time to attend to crops, care for livestock, and properly manage the farms.
The coordinator of UCCL has highlighted the "unity of action" achieved among the organizing organizations and has defended the need to "put aside differences" at a moment he has described as "critical" for farmers and ranchers.
González Palacín has warned that the rising costs of inputs may push many professionals to reduce cereal planting and opt for crops with lower costs, with the consequent risk of increasing dependence on imports.
In this scenario, he has called for strengthening controls over productions from third countries to ensure they meet requirements equivalent to those demanded in the European Union, and has suggested moving towards certification systems at the source.
The head of UCCL has also insisted on the need for professional diesel for the field, with a lower tax burden and a direct bonus at the time of refueling. He has proposed assistance of between 40 and 50 cents per liter, which aims to compensate part of the energy overcosts that the farms bear.
Likewise, he has demanded to tighten the application of the Food Chain Law so that, in addition to sanctions on companies that violate the regulation, they are required to correct contracts when prices below production costs are detected.
González Palacín has defended that the demands from the field fully enter the political debate ahead of the upcoming electoral appointment and has asked both the Government and the opposition for clear commitments regarding their proposals for the agricultural sector.
The coordinator of COAG Castilla y León has agreed on the need for "massive" participation on October 28 and has encouraged professionals to "the sowing to Madrid" that day, instead of continuing to produce at a loss.
Rivera has emphasized that farmers do not ask for "privileges" nor aspire to "live off subsidies," but rather to have "fair conditions to produce," profitable farms, and future expectations that also facilitate the incorporation of young people into the field.
The COAG leader has warned that the sharp increase in costs, especially of diesel and fertilizers, contrasts with the evolution of prices received by producers, and has opined that economic aid can only be considered a temporary response.
In his view, part of the structural problems of the sector must be addressed through regulatory changes, the activation of safeguard clauses, and a strengthening of controls over imports.
The three organizations have also demanded measures from the Junta de Castilla y León. They have recalled that in previous mobilizations they requested the regional government 150 million euros to address the crisis in the sector and have criticized that, according to their complaints, the regional budgets do not include a sufficient extraordinary allocation to alleviate the current situation.
González Palacín has again emphasized the negotiation of the next CAP and has rejected any cuts to its funds. In this line, he has urged the Government of Spain to maintain a "firm" stance in the Council of the European Union and to defend both the budget level and the two-pillar structure of agricultural policy.