Reactions to the Russian ban on imports of food products from the European Union have not kept you waiting. On Monday a meeting between the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Isabel García Tejerina, and various representatives of the food industry, in order to prepare for the meeting next Thursday with the European Commission and the other Member States was held in Madrid . García Tejerina announced that Spain will request removal of production affected by the decision of the Kremlin. At yesterday’s meeting, attended by representatives of Agro-Food Cooperatives, organizations Agrarian Association of Young Farmers (Asaja), Coordinator of Organizations of Farmers and Ranchers (COAG) and the Union of Small Farmers and Ranchers (UPA) and the Federation of Associations of Producers and Exporters of Fruits and Vegetables (Fepex).
García Tejerina emphasized the desire of the Ministry is that the European Commission “to react urgently” and that measures are taken “to the maximum speed “in order to prevent” any disruption “of markets, as far as possible. For this reason, the minister said that Spain will ask “the withdrawal of productions urgently” and will focus on the segments of fruit and perishable, which suffer a worrying situation.
Initiatives previous
Tejerina Garcia recalled that Spain had agreed, before the Russian veto, the removal of 10,000 tons of peaches and apricots, so now ask the European Commission to extend this measure removal “on terms of volume and sectors “affected. Also Tejerina defended this action has to be financed by the fund approved crisis management in the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). Recalled products will be distributed to the needy through the Food Bank or the Red Cross. In addition, some of them will be used for processing.
Both the Government of Spain and the European Union are discussing potential disruptions of markets and, depending on these, “will go adopting measures necessary, “he said García Tejerina. Are 337 million turnover in 2013 to Spain for their food exports to Russia; and 107 patients admitted in the first five months of 2014, however, the minister noted that “not all sectors are closed.”
“The biggest concern” in Spain, Garcia Tejerina is given by the excess production of other EU Member States, so that given the need to seek “alternative markets”. And he announced that the government of Spain will continue to work to find these new destinations, and meetings will be maintained with the distribution sector to promote the consumption of fruits and vegetables.
Reactions
Meanwhile, employers farmers stressed the need for urgent action. COAG Secretary General, Miguel Blanco, warned of a possible drop in prices. “If a political decision is what has put us in jeopardy, must be the policy measures that provide solutions,” he said. White said that in addition to the 337 million euros of direct exports, we must take into account the 1,200 million involving indirect exports. In the same vein the president of Agro-Food Cooperatives of Castilla-La Mancha, Angel Villafranca spoke. “A political problem can not jeopardize the sector,” he said.
The secretary general of UPA, Lorenzo Ramos, praised the “commitment to recognize the real problem” and recalled that the measures taken in the crisis e-coli bacteria in cucumbers were very positive. Asaja, through its president, Pedro Barato, stressed the commitment of the Ministry to study the proposals of agricultural organizations until Thursday. Meanwhile, the director of Fepex, José María Pozancos, stressed the need to “rebalance the market,”
First steps towards solving the EU
The European Union yesterday began to analyze the impact of the extent of Russia and to propose the first steps in favor of the producers of peaches and nectarines.
The first meeting of the working group took place under the direction of the head of Agriculture of the European Commission, Jerzy Bogdan Plewa.
“I hope that on Thursday, when we convened a committee meeting management-’re in a position where we have a clear picture of the potential impact,” said Agriculture spokesman Roger Waite. However, he indicated that “it is certain” that on Thursday the Commission has a firm conclusion about the possibilities of exporting to other markets in order to offset the losses from the Russian veto.
Waite stressed the importance of coordinating a European response and recalled that the current Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) provides “options emergency measures in case of market turmoil” and that the EC has the flexibility to use them.
The spokesman stressed that there “is a bit early to discuss exact amounts”, but stressed that Brussels support producers for problems.
The first action taken by the EC in here is to exceptional measures to help producers of peaches and nectarines.
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