Day of Fruits and Vegetables of Agri-food Cooperatives of Spain. Valencia

Community policies and trade relations will mark the day of Fruits and Vegetables that Agri-food cooperatives of Spain celebrates on November 10th in Valencia. It will bring together representatives of numerous Spanish fruit and vegetable cooperatives and other producing countries, as well as leading experts who will analyze the current situation of the sector and its most imminent challenges.

In the conference “New challenges for the fruit and vegetable sector: community policies and trade relations”, the deputies of the European Parliament, Paolo de Castro and Clara Aguilera, will analyze the main challenges for the sector, the future financial framework and the CAP after 2020 , and the Brexit. Philippe Appeltans, president of the Copa-Cogeca FH Working Group will present the position of the European cooperatives on the future of the Community aid scheme for the Fruit and Vegetables sector, within the framework of the CAP-2020.

On behalf of the European Commission, María Ángeles Benítez Salas, of the General Directorate of Agriculture, will present the activity of this institution in the negotiation not only of the Free Trade Agreements, but also of the Phytosanitary Export Protocols and, particularly, of the lifting of SPS barriers, with the aim of diversifying the export destinations of the fruit and vegetable sector.

Continuing with the problems related to the export activity of the fruit and vegetable sector, a round table will discuss the impact of Brexit on the sector and the strategies of negotiation and adaptation. Participants will be representatives of the three administrations involved by Spain, Gonzalo Álvarez Garrido of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Agustín Velilla of the Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness, and Valentín Almansa of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food and Environment and of the sector, Jim Rogers, vice president of Fesa UK and produce Consortium.

At the opening of the day will participate Francisco Rodriguez Mulero, regional secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development of the Conselleria, Manuel Ruiz, president of the Valencian Association of Credit Cooperatives and Cirilo Arnandis, president of the Sectoral Council of Fruits and Vegetables of Agricultural Cooperatives of Spain. On the other hand, Ángel Villafranca, president of Cooperativas Agro-alimentarias of Spain and Valentín Almansa of MAPAMA, will close the day.