500 Tractors Head to Madrid as Farmers Target Trade Deal with Morocco
On Wednesday, October 28, around 500 tractors are expected in Madrid. Spanish agricultural organizations are denouncing their production costs and have placed the trade agreement with Morocco among the official targets of their protest.
Five columns of tractors are set to converge on the Spanish capital. Coming from places including Guadalajara, Arganda del Rey and Buitrago del Lozoya, they are due to meet at 11 a.m. in Plaza de Colón before heading to the Ministry of Agriculture. Organizers say several thousand demonstrators are expected.
Behind this show of force are three organizations: ASAJA, COAG and Unión de Uniones. Their platform lists five demands, one of which explicitly targets Morocco. The fourth point denounces “unfair competition” linked to trade agreements with the Kingdom and Mercosur countries.
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The demonstrators are demanding that imports comply with rules comparable to those imposed on European farms. They are calling for more border checks and clearer labeling. ASAJA president Pedro Barato denounces differences in environmental and phytosanitary requirements in an op-ed published by his organization.
Madrid defends the deal as tractor drivers protest
Tensions with Morocco did not begin with this day of protest. In September, Spanish Agriculture Minister Luis Planas said it would be absurd to suspend trade with Rabat. This disagreement extends the protest against Moroccan imports, particularly tomatoes, already voiced by Spanish growers.
For the demonstrators, the Morocco issue is part of a broader crisis. They are calling for cheaper agricultural diesel, prices that cover their costs, better funding for the Common Agricultural Policy and fewer administrative procedures. On Cadena SER, COAG leader Andrés Góngora denounces imports from third countries that he considers uncontrolled.
On Bladi.net : EU-Morocco Deal Sparks Agricultural Turmoil: Spanish Farmers Face Saharan Fruit Flood
The convoy is expected to arrive outside Spain’s Ministry of Agriculture at around 1 p.m. The protest is due to continue there through the afternoon, with the trade agreement with Morocco explicitly listed in the agricultural organizations’ platform.
