MAPA will defend the need to guarantee the availability of fertilizers at affordable prices for farmers
The MAPA will convey to the European Commission the need to continue monitoring the evolution of the main sectors affected by the increase in production costs. / ARCHIVE
Epheagro.
The minister of Agriculture, Fishing and FoodLuis Planas, will influence the week of January 30 before his European counterparts in the need to find mechanisms that reduce foreign dependence on raw materials for the manufacture of fertilizers.
Likewise, it will defend the need to guarantee its availability at affordable prices for farmers, as indicated by the Department in a statement after holding the advisory council for agricultural and fisheries sector policy with the autonomous communities by videoconference.
It has reported that it will transfer to the European Commission the need to continue monitoring the evolution of the main sectors affected by the increase in production costs as a result of the war in Ukraine.
Planas has specified that the Ministry has carried out a “meticulous” monitoring of the foreign trade of the main imported raw materials, such as cereals and soybeans, and that “there has been no risk of shortages at any time.”
During the next Council, it will also support the updating of the community regulations on the transport of live animals, so that improvements can be incorporated that increase welfare during transfers, but also take into account the socioeconomic impact of livestock activity.
Portugal is expected to present a working document, which has the support of Spain, which includes the need to maintain commercial flows of live animals to guarantee livestock activity and market stability.
The minister has also indicated that the Swedish Presidency will present to the Council its action priorities for this semester, which will continue to be marked by the problems that the war is causing in food production.
It will also express Spain’s willingness to collaborate “closely” with the new Presidency to make progress on various agri-food issues and strengthen the sector’s competitiveness.
In addition, a debate will be opened on the promotion of the bioeconomy and Planas believes that this area constitutes an opportunity for the development of “comprehensive policies aimed at the rural environment”, which reinforce the role of primary producers and take “more into account their needs real”.
Planas affirms that innovation, training and dissemination are “key” tools to provide greater added value to the agri-food chain
For this, innovation, training and dissemination are “key” tools to provide greater added value to the agri-food chain, as he stressed.
In fisheries matters, Planas has chaired the Sectoral Conference, which has appointed two members for the Governing Commission of the Spanish Institute of Oceanography representing the autonomous communities. These are the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries of the Canary Islands, Alicia Vanoostende, and the Minister of Rural Affairs and Territorial Cohesion of the Principality of Asturias, Jesús Calvo Rodríguez.
