Proexport manager, Fernando P. Gómez Molina, stated yesterday that the withdrawal prices of some products, like broccoli or cabbage, "are almost worse" than the Russian veto. Because of this, they will hold a meeting in Madrid with the president of the Spanish Agricultural Guarantee fund (EAGF), Ignacio Sánchez Esteban, to try resolving the situation.
Gómez Molina, who made this statement after the meeting of the sector with the regional government, said that the withdrawal price for free distribution of broccoli, under Spanish legislation, stands at 26.26 Euro per 100 kilograms and with the recent regulation after the Russian veto it has dropped to 15.69 Euro, while in the case of cabbage it has gone from 14.81 to 5.81 Euro.
Furthermore, in the case of other destinations, such as non-harvest or biodegradation, the withdrawal price in the case of broccoli under Spanish legislation stood at 21.20 Euro and has dropped to 10.52 with Community rules, and in the case of cabbage it has gone from 12 to just 3.88 Euro.
Moreover, the president of COAG-Murcia, Miguel Padilla, has considered it necessary for Murcia's Council of Agriculture to fix the rules for the withdrawal, especially for individual growers who are neither in cooperatives nor in fruit and vegetable producer organisations (OPFH).
Padilla also considered it necessary for third countries, such as Morocco, which have low tariffs for the entry of horticultural products, to review them in light of the current situation "instead of being so kind to them," because they are even taking a large share of the Russian market.
For his part, the president of FECOAM, Santiago Martínez, decided to expand the list of products that must be withdrawn, including melons, watermelons, citrus and lettuce, which are very important for the Region of Murcia, and commented on the possibility that individual growers may carry out the withdrawals at regional agricultural offices.
Martínez also noted that, depending on what happens in the coming weeks, growers will decide what to do with certain winter crops, as "planting just to withdraw" is not profitable.
The Councillor of Agriculture and Water, Antonio Cerdá, met yesterday for nearly two hours with the fruit and vegetable production and exporting sector to analyse recent proposals for aid regulations to alleviate the effects of the Russian veto.
Cerdá will then report on Wednesday to the Ministry of Agriculture, and the Minister in turn will do the same on Friday 5 September, at the board meeting of EU ministers.
The Spanish President, Mariano Rajoy, said yesterday in Brussels that Spain will urge the European Commission to maintain its aid to fruit and vegetable producers affected by the Russian ban, if deemed necessary.
In Moscow supermarkets, the scarcity of European fresh produce, especially fruits (citrus and apples), vegetables (tomatoes and peppers) and dairy products (cheese and yoghurt) is already noticeable.