Agroaldea
As happened year and a half ago with FEDEX, the Supreme Court has given reason to tomatera employers of Tenerife, Aceto statement that no compensation fraud transporting tomatoes in the year 2002.
The litigió was generated about thirteen years ago, when the Ministry of Finance opened a record amount and claimed reimbursement of the Federation of Exporters Hortofrutícolas of the province of Las Palmas, FEDEX 8,3 million euros, which were awarded in direct aid for the transport of the tomato. Within a few months the ministry acted similarly with the Association of Exporters Tomato Growers Tenerife, ACETO which requested reimbursement of 4,3 million euros.
Just as Fedex Ministry appealed against the decision to the Second Section of the Division of Administrative TSJC, Aceto did the same. In the trial, the expert who defended the thesis of the Ministry explained that study was based on prices established by the consultant Edei, for the transport of the tomato to the European Union. This rate was of 6,68 centimeters per kilo, faced with the 15,56 Aceto cents claiming the State.
On the other hand, Aceto argued that the market analysis had not been taken into account transport dry goods, or the need to use refrigerated ships to carry tomatoes, cucumbers and avocados to the Peninsula. Also, They were not covered in the report shipping prices that normally work with Fedex and Aceto.
Given the negative judgment of the High Court of the Canary Islands (TSJC) that forced them to return 4,3 million euros for aid which, According to the judgment, they were charged in the transport of tomato and cucumber to Europe during exercise 2002-2003, plus 1,8 M € interest and 20% surcharge for maturity of term, Aceto appealed the sentence on appeal.
Now, five years later, the room of the contentious - administrative, Third Section of the Supreme Court has come to agree with Aceto, failing against the judgment of the Second Section of the Chamber for Contentious - Administrative High Court of Canarias.
Agroaldea consulted the manager who was at that time Aceto, Domingo Mendoza, He expressed his complete satisfaction while regretting the damage done to the sector to place the brink of extinction.
Mendoza recalls bitter moments of many farmers who lost everything, even his life, by an unjust dispute with the administration since the beginning that he was 'openly and' tomato plants that had not committed fraud.
The stubbornness of the administration caused the already debt-ridden situation of the sector by pests, the trade agreement with Morocco and the exorbitant cost increase, This lawsuit ended up almost liquidate the activity on the island was added.
Coagisora in the cooperative have also received the news with great euphoria: "Happiness is not the word that best defines now our mood, It is somewhat higher than that, it is that for many have come too late, so much that even the tomato has almost completely disappeared from our field and it is this fact that has greatly worsened our situation as the few who remain active have had to deal with all the guarantees that justice required. Because of this, for years we have had to deal with some unbearable financial burdens but still we managed to maintain activity ".
Since the cooperative declared that "We have been very tough times and as always happens in these cases, we have had to make tough decisions to cut their losses and to prevent the infection from spreading. A few years ago we faced huge leak kilos and wear our brutal image, together with the general crisis in the country, He was about to lie down, yet today we are paying the consequences, However, The decision made was to open the doors to anyone who does not want to be inside and that allowed fresh air to enter, decongest the environment and from there it was back to work to get ahead ".
Go from here our most sincere congratulations to Aceto and all who have been part of this sector in Tenerife.