Brussels proposes to help Member States with €450 million, but Spain demands more measures because this “is not a permanent solution”
In a full escalation of food prices, Agriculture Minister Luis Planas compared fertilizers to the chips of the technological world on Monday. In a meeting with European Union (EU) ministers, Planas called for more involvement from the European Commission to guarantee the supply of fertilizers in order to move towards “autonomy and food sovereignty”.
“Let’s be clear: we can hardly talk about food autonomy without a fundamental element such as fertilizers, which together with seeds are the chips of agriculture,” said the minister, explaining that the production of nitrogen fertilizers has increased over the years discontinued. peak moment ranging from 70% to 50% due to high gas prices.
Phosphate fertilizers have also experienced a price increase, which, as Planas warned, represents a “real problem” from a supply point of view for farmers and with “serious consequences” also for the final price of food itself for consumers.
For this reason, the minister asked in Brussels to find support mechanisms “absolutely necessary” to dispel farmers’ doubts regarding crops, whose yield depends on the quality of the soil, in which it plays a “fundamental” role fertilization.
After taking note of a document from the Commission proposing to use a reserve of EUR 450 million in 2023 through an increase in state aid ceilings, Spain, supported by fifteen other countries, will ask Brussels for “concrete measures” and “short deadlines”. term” solutions, as this measure “is not a permanent solution”, the minister stressed before the meeting. “The Commission needs to look for support mechanisms that go beyond the reserve, which also implies a deduction from Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) payments, to use it for other measures,” explains Planas.
Another proposal from Spain for this Agricultural Council is to explore new methods of fertilization, such as the use of manure and slurry, and to improve advice to farmers on this subject.
On the other hand, he pointed out that Spain is “satisfied” that it has been possible to “bend” the Black Sea Agreement to the production of cereals and oilseeds, as it seems “necessary” to supply world markets. An agreement from which Spain has also benefited by buying two tons of these crops out of a total of 10 released.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
