Spain: Fear of desertification after agreement with Morocco

The president of the agricultural food cooperative Alimer, Julián Díaz, said he fears that the agricultural agreement subscribed by the European Union and Morocco will raise desertification in Lorca due to the expected disappearance of agricultural exploitations.

Díaz underlined this collateral damage of the agreement ratified last week by the European Parliament, that means the "dismantling" of the professional production of vegetables in the municipality, with the following loss of working places and economic activity.

"Rural areas are being lost, small farmers don't have the capacity to compete with Morocco, nor to go there and make plantations", exposed Díaz, pointing that European authorities "didn't evaluate properly the impact" of the agreement in social, economical and environmental terms.

92% of the broccoli production of his cooperative is destined to be exported to the European markets, along with 60% of the watermelon and stone fruit and 85% of the lettuce.

The cooperative Alimer has a turnover of 125 million Euro, more than a thousand direct employees and a net assets around the 27 million Euro. Alimer, with 1,405 farmers and live-stock farmers as associates, has horticultural sections, flowers, supplies, live-stock farmers, fodder and dairy products, with facilities in Lorca and Puerto Lumbreras.

Source: Laverdad