Agroaldea
THE ENTIRE EUROPEAN SECTOR UNITES TO MAKE A COMMON FRONT IN ITS DEFENSE.
European banana producers have warned that a possible cut in aid granted by the EU to the sector will mean “a chaos” and an imbalance in production costs “that cannot be endured”, and therefore the dismissal of permanent farm and packaging staff.
This warning has been made by the president of the Association of European Banana Producers (APEB), Leopoldo Cólogan, within the framework of the meeting in Santa Cruz de Tenerife of this organization that represents one hundred percent of community banana production.
The APEB integrates the producers of this fruit in Madeira, Canary Islands and the French islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe, all of them outermost regions that together represent 19.956 hectares of surface, 11.930 producers and an approximate production of 700.000 tons.
Leopoldo Cloguen specified that community aid for banana production has its origin in the differences in wages and costs faced by community producers compared to those in third countries., so if they cut these funds simply by one 10 percent would be “a chaos”.
[quote]Regarding the criticism of some agricultural sectors regarding these aids, Clógan stated that he sees this attitude with amazement and above all, that it be supported by some political leaders, what he described as “disparate”.[/quote]
On this matter, the president of UGPBAN, Eric de Lucy, representing producers from Martinique and Guadeloupe, stated that community aid “they don't come from heaven” but rather they represent a supplementary budget negotiated by the outermost regions and with which the EU recognizes that the banana sector is a priority and essential for these territories..
Those who criticize this aid both “aggressive” as “subtle” They do not know the history of community banana production, Eric said of Lucy., who specified that the amount received corresponds to the difference in costs with other territories and therefore “It is not a gift from Europe”.
On the contrary, It is about financially compensating for this difference in terms of salary and environmental costs and therefore European “assumes its responsibility”, Well, by allowing the entry of bananas from third countries into their markets, must also support community production, that guarantees its traceability to European consumers.
Precisely the main challenge faced by community banana producers is to maintain production, increase the quality and income of producers “taking all necessary measures” to counteract EU agreements that entail a progressive reduction in the tariffs paid by non-EU fruit upon entry into Europe.
The APEB, that in November 2014 will celebrate its twenty-fifth anniversary, remember that the tariff, initially set at 176 EUR per tonne, is currently 127 euros and in 2016 will be set in 75, an amount that according to Eric de Lucy represents “insufficient protection” for bananas produced in the outermost regions.
This is a common concern for these territories, said Jorge Dias, director of the Madeira Producers Association, who recalled that this reduction in tariffs means “a threat” because of the competition it implies for 3.000 small producers in your region, where bananas are the first agricultural export.
For Martinique and Guadeloupe, bananas are “from far” the first sector, with 11.000 hectares of crops, the 25 percent of the total agricultural area of both islands, and the 80 percent of jobs in the agricultural sector, detailed Eric de Lucy, who defended the increase in quality in production as a way to fight against the rest of the fruit from third countries.
Leopoldo Cólogan, who remembered that the European banana perceives 280 million euros from Posei, and of these, Canary Islands receive 141 million, He said that the APEB monitors the evolution of prices and the behavior of the markets with the aim of warning the European Commission if they become destabilized..
However, He also pointed out that in the Canary Islands the employment generated by the sector is stable and there has not been any type of regulation., while Eric de Lucy asserted that the crisis has not been perceived in the sector in Martinique and Guadeloupe, where they were created 250 jobs thanks, above all, to its link with the French market.