Farmers across Spain have united with their European counterparts in staging widespread protests throughout the country. Their demands echo those of farmers across the continent, as they call for increased flexibility from the European Union, stricter regulations on produce from non-EU countries, and greater assistance from their government.
These protests have resulted in roadblocks and significant disruptions to traffic in various regions, causing inconvenience to motorists. A major demonstration is scheduled to take place in central Madrid later this month.
On Tuesday, farmers in Spain’s northern interior drove convoys of tractors through agricultural areas, honking horns, waving Spanish flags, and displaying placards to voice their concerns. Similar protests occurred in Catalonia, Andalusia, and Extremadura.
The grievances of Spain’s farmers mirror those of their counterparts in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, and other protesting nations.
They cite stringent regulations within the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and the burden of high fuel and energy costs as significant obstacles to profitability in the agricultural sector.
“The costs, when it comes to producing wheat and barley, are very high,” said Esteban, a cereal farmer who preferred not to give his surname who was protesting in Aranda de Duero. “You’ve got to pay for fertiliser, pesticides, fuel – it’s killing us. We have to pay very high prices and yet we sell at low prices.”