Murcian producers will be able to withdraw summer fruit thanks to the new aid due to the Russian veto

Murcia farmers, associated with producer organizations (POs) and individuals, will be able to benefit from the extension of aid due to the ban imposed by Russia on agri-food imports from the European Union, thanks to a new call for aid that will be in force until June 2016, which, in addition to other products, includes peaches, nectarines and paraguayans.

This agreement has been formally approved after its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union of Delegated Regulation (EU) No. 1369/2015. (full text here).

These measures were first adopted a year ago in response to Russia's decision to ban the entry of European products in retaliation for the European Union's position on Russia's crisis with Ukraine, which has been extended for another year. Last year, this aid allowed some 770,000 tons of products to be removed from the market throughout Spain with support of 155 million euros.

In the new call, quotas are contemplated by country (for the whole of the EU it is 755,000 tons, of which correspond to Spain), which are only distributed among the Member States that have exported significant quantities in the last three years, among which of course is Spain, not in vain is the second largest beneficiary, with 129,350 tons, only behind Poland.

In what affects Murcian producers directly (basically peaches, nectarines and Paraguayans), the additional quota established is 38,400 tons, so close to 60,000 tons can be withdrawn from the summer market, since within the approved exceptional measures It is contemplated that producers can make use of the quota of 20,000 tons of peaches, paraguayans and nectarines for all of Spain, which has been approved by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment for the transformation of the surplus of these fruits into juice for Food Banks. contributing to entities that help those most in need,

The inclusion of stone fruit has been made at the request of requests that Spanish farmers have been making since last April.

The positive thing about the extension of aid for the fruit and vegetable sector, in addition to the exceptional measures established by the Regulation in terms of quantities, is that it is extended until June 30, 2016, or until the quotas are exhausted.

The Minister of Water, Agriculture and Environment of the Region of Murcia, Adela Martínez-Cachá, indicated that the Russian veto has not left Murcian farmers without resources, but has allowed them to reinvent themselves and open new markets in Asian countries and the Emirates. Arabs. The counselor recalled that the regional agricultural sector directly contributes 4 percent to the regional GDP, and indirectly the agri-food industry exceeds the 25% of the industrial sector of the Region, hence the importance of aid to the Russian veto.

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