The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries receives several representatives of the cerecero sector

Fernando Miranda, general secretary of Agriculture and Food, and the CEOs of ENESA and Productions and Markets, received the representatives of the cerecero sector yesterday to listen to their demands. The meeting was attended by several members of the Association of Cooperatives, headed by its president, Emilio Sanchez, as well as Ernesto Agundiez, president of the Commonwealth, and also were accompanied by the general director of Agriculture and Livestock of the Junta de Extremadura, Antonio Cabezas .

This meeting comes a few days after the one that took place between the delegate of the Government in Extremadura, Yolanda García Seco, with representatives of the cherry sector. During the meeting, the government representative promised to quickly facilitate the meeting with the ministry, so that the latter would hear from the affected people, the main problems they face campaign after campaign.

This year in particular, the particular weather conditions, as well as the excess supply in the markets, have made this campaign one of the most complicated to remember. Farmers are seeing how the prices that mark the markets, leave the profitability of their crops in ruinous terms. Meteorology has not helped either to achieve good calibers with which to get a higher price. In addition, historically, the negotiation of agricultural insurance does not favor the type of farming that takes place in the Jerte. For this reason, the Valle del Jerte Cooperative Association has taken a step forward by mobilizing and working to improve the situation of the farmer, the base of the economic engine of the region.

During the meeting the problem of agricultural insurance was discussed. For the type of common exploitation in the Valle del Jerte, the current model of agricultural insurance is not profitable. For that reason, from the sector, a remodeling is demanded that makes adapt to the insurances to the particularities of the cultivation of the cherry in the Jerte, facilitating therefore the hiring of the same ones. Another of the claims most acclaimed by farmers is the focus on the price of cherry, both the one offered to the producer, and the difference between that amount and that paid by the final consumer. To alleviate the low prices, and consequently the low profits of this campaign, special fiscal measures have also been requested to face the situation.

On the other hand, the issue of the depopulation of the area has also been addressed, exacerbated by the economic difficulties faced by farmers, the majority sector in the region. In that sense, they have defended their claims, and requested measures that favor their empowerment. The need to protect the term Picota against the unfair competition of the wild cherry has also been transferred to the members of the ministry. In addition to working on different promotions and communication campaigns to inform the consumer, it has been requested to work on a legal protection that prevents fraud on the shelves and counters by the generic use of this term to refer to cherries that are not.

From the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries has been given maximum speed to this meeting. They already knew the situation of Extremadura’s cherry-makers, and after listening to their demands, they expressed their commitment to study improvements for the sector, and to attend to all claims made in the most effective way.

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