Liked on YouTube: Farmers block motorways to protest declining income

Farmers block motorways to protest declining income

(18 Feb 2020) Farmers in fluorescent yellow vests blocked highways in southwestern Spain with tractors and other vehicles Tuesday in the latest mass protest over what they say are plummeting incomes for agricultural workers. The rallies, predominantly in the Extremadura region that borders Portugal, were called by several labour unions to demand government action to ensure more realistic retail prices for fruit and vegetables. Ángel García, head of the regional young farmers association Asaja, said about 700 tractors were blocking the roads and urged all farm workers in Extremadura to strike. The almost daily protests across Spain against high production costs and low prices for farm produce pose a tough challenge for the country's month-old Socialist-led coalition government as the European Union plans to cut agricultural subsidies. The protests also come amid tariff threats by the US. The unions and the government also blame major supermarket chains for slashing prices on fruit and vegetables and forcing farmers to sell their goods for less. Industry officials say overall farm income dropped by 9% in 2019, the Spanish daily El Pais reported. Officials from Spain's main agricultural organizations met with members of three political parties in parliament on Tuesday and were to have more talks later with the Labour Ministry. The unions met with the government last week but continued their protests as no farm support agreement was reached. Find out more about AP Archive: https://ift.tt/1CUvJt1 Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive Facebook: https://ift.tt/2mlr9BZ Google+: https://plus.google.com/b/102011028589719587178/+APArchive​ Tumblr: https://aparchives.tumblr.com/​​ Instagram: https://ift.tt/2G5Qog8 You can license this story through AP Archive: https://ift.tt/3a1bjR8
via YouTube https://youtu.be/S_6kYgsHVRA