Unió de Pagesos demands aid for citrus crisis in Terres de l’Ebre

The agricultural union Unió de Pagesos is calling on the Department of Agriculture to provide direct aid and implement a variety conversion plan to combat a severe crisis in the citrus sector within the Terres de l’Ebre region.

Producers warn that the current campaign could see marketing losses exceeding 50% for the third consecutive year. The crisis is driven by extreme weather phenomena, such as heatwaves and heavy rains, alongside rising production costs for agricultural diesel, fertilizers, and phytosanitary products. Additionally, the sector faces structural challenges, including an aging workforce—with nearly 40% of farm holders over 65—and aging orchards, many of which are 25 to 35 years old and losing productivity.

The union proposes a variety conversion plan to transform approximately 2,000 hectares of citrus over a maximum of five years, introducing younger, more productive, and weather-tolerant trees. They have also requested direct aid of 17,000 euros per producer under climate crisis frameworks to ensure the economic viability of the region's specialized agricultural economy.