Asaja and Coag reject the pact offered by Agriculture

Asaja and COAG, two of the main agricultural entities in Spain, have chosen on Friday to reject the agreement of 43 measures proposed by the Government to resolve their demands, after considering it unsatisfactory in terms of content. Unlike the third major organization, UPA, which has already signed it, Asaja and COAG have determined that the pact does not meet their expectations. This decision prolongs the continuation of their protests, which have included road blockades and demonstrations in cities such as Madrid. Next Monday they will define the strategy to follow.

The reasons for its rejection are, therefore, practically the same. Both COAG and Asaja recognize certain “advances”, especially with regard to flexibility and the reduction of bureaucratic burden associated with the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). In addition, Asaja highlights some fiscal measures, such as the continuity of the refund of the Hydrocarbon Tax for agricultural diesel.

These associations They describe the 43 proposed measures as “insufficient” by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to respond to the demands of farmers and ranchers, as reported in a statement.

“The board of directors does not consider that the proposals presented by the Ministry of Agriculture are sufficient to address the numerous and complex problems that affect the sector and that have led it to an extreme situation, as has been evident with the campaign of mobilizations that for more than two months has been carried out throughout the national territory,” they pointed out from Asaja.

However, this body considers positive part of the proposals of Minister Luis Planasalthough it finds “very significant shortcomings” in specific matters and absence of measures in productive sectors that would need a more decisive response.

After analyzing the document, Asaja welcomes the effort to simplify some CAP implementation measures, as promoted by the European Commission and which Agriculture has transferred to the Strategic Implementation Plan in Spain (PEPAC), but regrets that some of these measures “they come late” and once the planning and planting has been completed by the owners of the farms.

The relaxation of some requirements of the eco-regimes responds to an agronomic logic and the need to adapt these requirements to the climatic and productive reality of the farms, necessary for the acceptance of said voluntary systems in favor of the climate and the environment.

“We value the maintenance of the refund of the Hydrocarbon Tax for agricultural diesel, as well as the reductions in personal income tax invoices for fuels and fertilizers, 15% of the net income in the IRPF module regimeas well as the new measure of not including compensatory VAT in the taxable base of Personal Income Tax in modules to reach the limit of 250,000 euros to remain in the regime”, they have recognized.

For its part, COAG argued that there has been “a loss of trust” towards Planas and will not sign its document of 43 proposals because there are issues that require “greater specificity”. The general secretary of COAG, Miguel Padilla, pointed out, in fact, that the proposal “in a framework of trust and respect, would give us security”, but he stressed that, “at this moment those conditions do not exist to be able to think that those measures that depend on the will and the medium term are going to be carried out in the terms set out in the 43-point document”.

The third party accepts

For their part, they have accepted the conditions of the ministry, directed by Planas, the Union of Small Farmers (UPA) as a Union of Unions.

This was stated by Planas in his speech after the signing of adhesion to the agreement by the Union of Unions. The minister thanked him for “this step forward” and assured that the 43 proposed measures are “necessary to support our farmers and ranchersensure the viability of their farms and guarantee our food security”.

“We are absolutely respectful of the times and the forms that the different agricultural organizations have within them,” said Planas, but pointed out that “in the coming days” he hopes and trusts that “other professional agricultural organizations will join this important agreement.” . Thus, he added that “it is in their hands, it is their responsibility” and the Government They will have “full respect for their decisions”.