meetingHe believes that we should wait to see how the market evolves before spending it.

The Secretary General of Agriculture and Food, Carlos cabins, has confirmed that the European Commission (CE) will not use the crisis reserve of the new Common Agricultural Policy (PAC) to finance the first two regulations adopted against the Russian veto.

After holding four meetings with agricultural organizations and cooperatives, livestock, unions and representatives of the autonomous communities, Cabanas has indicated that the Commission has informed the Department that the close 155 millions announced in the first two measures will not be paid for with this crisis fund, but with the current EC budget.

In Cabanas' opinion, ES “bueno” that the crisis reserve is not used (endowed with 427 million) so that “in the future” can be used.

In particular, The EC has already approved a first package that is around 30 million for the withdrawal of peaches and nectarines from the market and will approve a second measure of 125 millions for the withdrawal of various fruit and vegetable productions especially affected by the Russian veto.

The Secretary General of Agriculture and Food sees, In addition, “reasonable” to be able to increase the budget of the second regulation, If the Commission finally decides to incorporate new fruit and vegetable products into the current list, a demand made by Spanish producers.

In his view, the current financial envelope can be “much or little” depending on “how it evolves” the development and application of the two regulations, for “From there, study the need to be able to expand or not the quantities that are necessary.”.

Cabanas has summarized the content of the meetings with each of the interlocutors and has specified that the possible impacts that the veto may have on them have been analyzed with the citrus sector..

On the other hand, fruit and vegetable producers have requested that aid from 125 million announced by Brussels for the withdrawal of vegetables and fruits is not only intended for human consumption, but also to other destinations, like the transformation, thus equaling the measurement taken with the peach and nectarine.

This has been assured to the media by representatives of the ASAJA agricultural organizations., COAG y UPA, Agro-food Cooperatives and the Federation of Associations of Producers and Exporters of Fruits and Vegetables (FEPEX).

At the meeting it was clear that the sector is still not satisfied with the planned aid and claims that the second planned regulation, The list of affected products is expanded and the aid reaches all farmers, not only mostly to the POs.

The president of Fruits and Vegetables of Agro-food Cooperatives, Cirilo Hernandez, has valued the work carried out by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and environment (Magrama), but he has expressed the opinion that Brussels is making decisions “late”, why its effect will be “practically zero”.

He has indicated that Cooperatives will continue to demand that the European Commission (CE) enable the appropriate budget to prevent the Russian veto from affecting producers.

Hernández has demanded that the list of horticultural products benefited by the measures be expanded, because the repercussion of the Russian embargo does not only affect “to one, two or three products”.

On the other hand, the president of ASAJA, Pedro Barato, has stated that this aid from 125 million (the second regulation announced by the EC to face the veto) must be equated and “complete” the first regulation.

I.e., to the help of 29,7 million for the removal of peaches and nectarines, which finally includes their destination for transformation and composting, and not only for free distribution in food.

Barato has also pointed out that the second regulation, not yet entered into force, must allow the withdrawal to be carried out not only by producer organizations, but also by individual farmers.

From COAG, his general secretary, Miguel Blanco, has evaluated the measures for peaches and nectarines, although he believes that it should have included other products such as plums and that the aid compensation amount tables “They are not suitable for a crisis like this” and “They should be reviewed because they are insufficient”.

About the help of 125 million, has considered that it is an insufficient budget, What “Let's hope it is resolved as the products are incorporated”.

Blanco has referred to the visit that the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, to Spain to meet with the president, Mariano Rajoy, who has been asked to raise in the meeting the need to have a position “common and firm throughout the EU” in the face of this crisis.

The Secretary of Agriculture of UPA, Ignacio Senovilla, has been more critical, by ensuring that the decisions that have been made for perishable fruit “they arrive late”.

In Senovilla's opinion, the money allocated so far by the EC to tackle the consequences of the Russian veto is “very little”.

In addition, She added, large surfaces “they are taking advantage” of the situation because the final prices of fruits and vegetables “they stay the same”.

By Fepex, your director, José María Pozancos, has indicated that the flexibility announced last week for the peach and nectarine regulation “must contribute significantly” to improve the situation of the markets although “There are still aspects that need to be clarified.”.

About the help of 125 million, “there are still many questions”, his trial, such as the list of products to include.

Pozancos has highlighted that the “CE is still underestimating the impact that this political conflict with Russia may have on the activity of the sector”.