ASAJA warns of 30% drop in Spanish cereal cultivation due to rising costs

Spanish agricultural organization ASAJA has warned that up to 30% of cereal land may remain uncultivated this year due to rising production costs and lack of effective government intervention. Pedro Barato, president of ASAJA, noted that costs for diesel and fertilizers have increased by over 50%, creating an unsustainable economic environment for farmers.

While the Spanish government has extended a decree providing a 20-cent per liter subsidy for agricultural diesel, ASAJA has labeled these measures “insufficient.” The organization argues that the subsidy does not cover the actual costs during peak consumption periods such as sowing and harvesting. Specifically, the cost of producing one hectare of dryland cereal has risen by 21.6% over the past year.

In response to the current situation, agricultural organizations are planning further mobilizations, which may include large-scale protests at the Ministry of Agriculture in Madrid and across various autonomous communities. Farmers are calling for measures that reflect the real cost of food production and are requesting exemptions from certain Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) requirements to prevent the loss of funds.