Source: Ukragroconsult (Ukraine)
The Unión de Uniones organization, which represents the interests of Spanish farmers, has called for a decision to be taken on increasing grain imports from Ukraine. This is reported by the Unión de Uniones press service.
On Wednesday, September 25, a rally will be held at the port of Santander in Spain to demand control of Ukrainian imports as grain prices collapse in the country. On Monday, September 23, a similar protest took place in front of the European Union building in Madrid.
The Spanish organization Unión de Uniones is protesting against the exorbitant increase in grain imports, especially from Ukraine, and is calling on the European Commission to lower them so as not to ruin farmers.
“Farmers will not remain idle until the safeguard provisions are implemented and the imported grain does not meet the same conditions that are required of us,” explained the country coordinator of Unión de Uniones, Luis Cortes.
It is pointed out that imports of Ukrainian cereals have increased so much that they amount to almost 8.4 million tons in 2023 and almost 6.5 million tons in the first half of 2024.
“Spain receives more than half of the Ukrainian grain imported into the EU, and at ever lower prices,” says Unión de Uniones, which cites the drop in grain prices in the country, which has been at 45 percent since May 2022, as a decisive factor.
Unión de Uniones is also calling for administrations to review the mark-ups on certain products made from cereal raw materials. and bread has increased in price by 9%.
For this reason, they are calling for the introduction of aid to compensate farmers and livestock breeders who find themselves in this situation.