Unió de Pagesos calls for structural agricultural reform in Spain

The Unió de Pagesos (UP) union is demanding structural reforms from both Catalan and Spanish governments to ensure the viability of the agricultural sector. The union warns of a crisis driven by a historic drop in prices and a significant rise in production costs, particularly for fuels and fertilizers.

According to UP, the cost of producing one kilogram of fruit has increased by 300% since 2019, while market prices have remained stagnant or fallen below production costs. This economic pressure has contributed to a significant decline in the farming population; Catalonia has lost 45.9% of its farmers since 2000, with the Lleida region seeing a particularly high loss of over 6,000 professionals.

Additional challenges cited by the union include drought, livestock diseases, damage from wildlife, and unfair competition from third countries. The union notes that the pork sector is expected to report losses for the first time in four years due to these compounding factors.