Farmers protested in Madrid on Monday to demand action from policymakers on an array of pressures they say the sector is under- from cheap supermarket prices, to low-cost imports that undercut local producers, to strenuous EU environmental rules.
On Monday, the farmers drove their tractors to the European Parliament Office, passing by the Ministry of Agriculture.
Spanish farmers also protested in front of the Agriculture Ministry in Madrid.
Farmers’ demands also include ending free trade agreements, which farmers say have led to cheaper imports from countries where producers face less stringent environmental standards than those of the EU.
Agriculture ministers were set to debate a new set of EU proposals to ease the pressure on farmers, including a reduction in farm inspections and the possibility of exempting small farms from some environmental standards.
(Source: Reuters)
