Cooperativas Agro-alimentarias de España (CAE) has announced that it is voluntarily withdrawing as a member of the Spanish Citrus Inter-branch organization (Intercitrus). The CAE sent a letter to Intercitrus informing it of this decision, which was taken by its Citrus Working Group and ratified by its Governing Council. According to Cirilo Arnandis, president of the CAE Citrus Working Group and president of the Federació, the Working Group took this decision after "the impasse caused by Intercitrus inability to standardize a sales contract or relaunch promotional activities, which are key at a time citrus consumption is falling."
"It's a difficult but necessary decision. We made it in a constructive spirit and with the firm will to continue collaborating with all the actors in the sector on any issue that is beneficial for Spanish citrus," Arnandis added.
The request for voluntary withdrawal will be effective in two months unless the cooperatives reconsider their position before it becomes effective. "I hope there will be a positive debate and reflection among all the links in the chain, which will allow the sector to advance in key issues such as innovation, market monitoring, opening commercial options in third countries, adapting to the growing pressure exerted by the current regulatory framework, and seeking the activity's economic, social, and environmental sustainability," Arnandis stated.
The decision was communicated to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food and the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries of the Valencian Community. This is a consensual and thoughtful measure, which the cooperative sector finds frustrating and inevitable. However, it's not an ending point but the beginning of another stage in the development of Spanish citrus, they stressed.
Source: europapress.es