The Sindicato Labrego Galego-Comisións Labregas (SLG-CCLL) joined this Wednesday the concentration held in Colón square, in Madrid, where it urged the Ministry of Agriculture and the Xunta to take a position against the new proposal of the Common Agricultural Policy (PAC) and demanded a "real shock plan" in the face of the escalation of production costs.
"For us it was necessary to be here and for the difficult situation that all the labrego people of Galicia are living to also be made visible; otherwise, for the institutions we do not exist," said the secretary of union action of the SLG, Brais Álvarez.
The agricultural organization underscores that the sector "is going through moments of great uncertainty" and recalls that, since last February, fuel, fertilizers and other essential inputs for the functioning of the farms "have increased their price by more than double".
According to what the SLG indicated in a statement, added to this situation is that they "still do not have" an food chain law "that protects them, that studies their production costs, how much each part of the chain takes, and that guarantees that they do not sell their product at a loss".
The union has also shown its rejection of the proposal debated in the Council of Agriculture Ministers of the EU on the new PAC, which it describes as "a direct attack" against agricultural holdings. For this reason, it calls on the Ministry to "oppose it head-on", in the sphere of the European Union, to said approach.
"Fundamental issues for the maintenance of our farms were not talked about, such as the degressivity of aid, market regulation, fair prices at origin, a maximum limit on aid for a fair and social distribution or a sufficient budget, since they continue to propose a cut close to 30% of the funds, taking into account inflation in recent years," the SLG has pointed out.
In this context, the union calls for a PAC "for the labregos", with minimum resources that ensure the continuity of the holdings, recognize the work of conservation of rural areas and ecosystem services, and that contemplate the specificities of each area.
Likewise, the SLG has conveyed its solidarity and support to the families of the people who died in the railway accident recorded this Wednesday in Urda (Toledo).
Participation of Asaga in the protest
The Agricultural Association of Galicia (Asaga) has also been present at Wednesday's mobilization in Madrid, headed by its president, Francisco Bello, with the aim of demanding profitability for farms and guaranteeing the future of farmers.
During the day, the representatives of Asaga have expressed their regret over the railway accident that occurred in Urda (Toledo), an event that has forced a modification of the planned development of the protest.
Among its demands, the entity highlights the urgency of ensuring fair prices at origin, lightening the bureaucratic burden and containing the increase in production costs. At the same time, Asaga expresses its concern about the impact of international trade agreements and about the uncertainty surrounding the future Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).