Freshuelva has asked the Spanish Government to implement the same regulatory framework as the governments of Italy or Portugal when it comes to authorizing the use of plant protection products to combat pests in soft fruit crops. That way, Spanish producers would be able to compete in the markets under the same conditions.
The Association has warned that the lack of alternative solutions to phytosanitary products, especially for soil disinfection, for which there are no longer any products with exceptional authorizations available, could put pressure on the Spanish production of strawberries and other berries. Besides, there is also the competition from third countries (Egypt, Morocco, Turkey...), whose productions are not subject to the same regulations or difficulties, especially in terms of production costs, "which is not fair."
This was stated by the manager of Freshuelva, Rafael Dominguez, at a meeting of the Spanish-French-Italian-Portuguese Joint Committee, which is part of the Strawberry Contact Group.
The Committee assessed the reports from each of its contact groups, and the one from the Strawberry Contact Group, held on May 9, mentioned the need to unify the policies and regulations of the governments of the group's members, and also at European level when it comes to authorizations for the use of plant protection products. The idea is to guarantee "equal opportunities and conditions for the same sectors in different countries."
For their part, representatives of the Strawberry Contact Group from Italy, France and Portugal expressed their concern about the excessive increase in costs, which is taking a toll on the viability of farms. They also warned about the increasing competition from third countries in the European market.
For more information:
Freshuelva
Tel.: +34 959 248 222
freshuelva@freshuelva.es
https://freshuelva.es