00:00Following the French farmers' protests against the agreement between the EU and Mercosur,
00:06alarm bells are ringing in Spain as well. As the Spanish government supports the deal,
00:11the agricultural sector aims to bring its opposition to the agreement to the attention
00:15of politicians.
00:16We totally reject the position of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Spanish government
00:23when it comes to the impacts it has on livestock and agriculture in the Spanish state. Very
00:29negative. They are going to promote more industrial models of agriculture, which also clash and
00:36have a total and absolute contradiction with the objectives of the Green Pact and the strategy
00:43of the farm to the table.
00:45Farmers want the Spanish government to acknowledge their demands.
00:48The Ministry of Agriculture has never convened a specific meeting with the agricultural sector
00:55to talk about Mercosur.
00:56Despite the many criticisms of the Spanish farmers against the agreement between the EU
01:01and Mercosur, the Minister of Agriculture, Luis Planas, defends it. He assures that there is a lot of
01:06mythology, as he has described it, in the opinions contrary to the agreement and that do not fit
01:11with reality.
01:12In addition, he leaves the following question in the air. Listen.
01:16I think there is a certain mythology around Mercosur that I don't think fits
01:23neither with the reality of the Mercosur agreement nor with the moment we are living in.
01:29Is the EU interested in closing on itself right now or is it interested in expanding the network
01:38of our trade agreements with third countries to maintain our economic and commercial influence?
01:46Farmers are responding. They have a message for the Minister of Agriculture.
01:52The Minister is the Minister and the farmers are the ones who are suffering these consequences.
01:56If the Minister were a farmer or the farmers were ministers, I can imagine that he would be
02:01with his French and German counterparts against this trade that is going to be closed.
02:06They are demanding that we comply with some things that are becoming more and more difficult,
02:10that our products are becoming more scarce, and that they are leading to the abandonment
02:14of both agriculture and European livestock.
02:16On the contrary, in these countries where these raw materials are expected to be brought,
02:20all these rules that do not exist, it is easier to produce and manage.
02:25It is also inconceivable that Europe, which is created for the protection of member countries,
02:29is letting us work at a disadvantage with a disloyal competition with third countries.
02:34Spanish farmers are coordinating amongst themselves and do not rule out holding protests.
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