The Ministry of Agriculture will address the national strategy of horticulture in Fruit Attraction

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment will present the results of the public consultation, surveys and focus groups conducted from July to diagnose the Spanish fruit and vegetable sector, from which it will design the Future national strategy for operational programs of producer organizations in that sector, and will do in a day, to be held on Friday, October 30, as part of the International Fair for the Fruit and Vegetable, Fruit Attraction in Madrid.

This conference is organized on the occasion of updating the National Strategy for operational programs of producer organizations (POs) of fruits and vegetables. Updating this strategy, dating from 2008, it is an opportunity for the Ministry to conduct a thorough analysis of the sector to identify problems and challenges that must be addressed in order to design future policy.

For MAGRAMA, this analysis can only be carried out in an appropriate manner if it has the active participation of the sector and any party involved. For this reason, we have designed a process in which farmers, agricultural associations, producer organizations, other government and academic experts, can make contributions from their experience and direct knowledge of the sector for the design of this Strategy .

The analysis phase began with a public consultation in July, and has continued with surveys to producer organizations, associated farmers and individual farmers, with more than 500 surveys answered.

To complete the vision received through consultation and surveys, were organized working groups in which the producers and experts have been able to discuss in person on current problems of the sector and the most appropriate solutions. The groups have analyzed key issues as the stalemate in the degree of organization, the size of the OPs, crisis management and the role of the POs in the food chain and the adequacy of operational programs to solve the problems of the sector.

This in-depth analysis will be the basis for the design of measures that should be supported with EU funds in order to optimize the use of available financial resources. All with the aim of achieving a competitive horticulture and adapted to current market conditions.

The fair Fruit Attraction has been chosen as the most appropriate framework to present the results of this analysis phase, given the large number of producers and other stakeholders in the sector. The conference will be held on Friday, October 30, at 11.30 hours in the Press Room, located on the first floor of the Main Building of IFEMA.

Source: MAGRAMA