Good morning,
I'm feeling a bit down today, to be honest. Sometimes it feels like our politicians, instead of supporting us, are against us. Between picking and packing, I want to tell you about something that's been bothering us. The agreement between the European Union and Mercosur. It sounds like an office matter, but honestly, it affects us more than you'd imagine.
A decision disguised as unity and progress, where neither the opinion nor the needs of those of us who work the land were taken into account. In theory, the agreement consists of a free trade treaty and the reduction of export tariffs... all very well at first glance, but what's really happening? Europe opens the big door and South America opens a small window. The result? More fruits and vegetables from there enter here with fewer border tolls and at lower costs, and our produce is paid for more cheaply at the source.
It's not that South American farmers are doing anything wrong. They are colleagues in the trade. The problem is the rules. Producing there can cost significantly less because sanitary controls are not as strict, land is cheaper, wages are different, and there are fewer burdens. When those boxes arrive at the supermarket here, the price puts pressure on local producers.
On paper, it also says that we will be able to sell them more. In practice, it's another story. To send fruit or vegetables to Mercosur, there are controls and paperwork that discourage you. They ask for certificates, analyses, licenses, and waiting times that you don't control. From here to there, there's more control and protocols; from there to here, it's like a toll-free highway. Fruit cannot remain in limbo because it is perishable.
What's happening here in the Spanish countryside with all this? Prices are falling in the domestic market. Margins are reduced to a mere breath. And small and medium-sized farms, which are the majority, see the future generation and the life of our villages at risk.
Do you think it's fair for us Spaniards to be displaced by foreign products that don't even meet our quality standards? We work with our bare hands to give Spain what it deserves: the best quality. Many times, we operate at a loss, but we continue to do our part from our space so that Spain can be a great nation, with products born in this homeland.
We keep doing our thing. Harvesting at dawn what you ask for, with the quality we can stand by. But the context matters. That's why we ask for something very simple: the same rules for everyone. If a product wants to be sold here, it should meet the same standards we do. If ours goes there, it should find the same open door. That's fair play ⚖️
In the meantime, thank you for supporting Spanish agriculture by buying direct. You shorten the supply chain, support families who live from farming, and ensure that each piece is harvested at the right time. Tomorrow, I'll be back to reviewing orders early and picking the produce that's perfectly ripe. Like every day.
A big hug and have a wonderful week. We'll read each other next week from the farm.
