Farmer protests spark 'tomato' crisis between two countries

Ongoing farmer protests in Europe have turned into a political dispute between France and Spain over "tomatoes."

The controversy was sparked after former French Ecology Minister Segolene Royal used the terms "inedible" and "fake organic" to describe tomatoes produced in Spain during a television program she attended this week, and French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal accused Spain of "creating unfair competition by allowing the cultivation of unhealthy agricultural products."

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez defended the criticisms leveled at Spanish agricultural products as "baseless," stating that he would invite the former French minister Royal to "come to Spain to taste the tomatoes she has not had the chance to try until now."

"When she tastes them, she will see that Spanish tomatoes are unrivaled, absolutely unrivaled," Sanchez said.

French farmers, who have been protesting for days in their country and most recently in Brussels, are demanding changes to the European Union's (EU) agricultural policy, the introduction of restrictions and inspections on products coming from non-EU countries, and further increases in prices and wages in line with inflation. They have argued that products leaving the fields reach store shelves at inflated prices, and their protests have also targeted Spanish and Italian products.

According to statistics, France imports 40 percent of its annual fruit and vegetable consumption from Spain and Italy, and farmers in France accuse these two countries of "unfair competition."

FARMERS TO CONTINUE PROTESTS

Meanwhile, farmers in Spain, who have begun small-scale protests for similar reasons to those in France, have decided to continue their demonstrations following a meeting today with Spanish Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Luis Planas.

The farmers, who could not be persuaded by Minister Planas, announced that they will hold road-blocking protests with tractors in Catalonia on February 13 and in the capital, Madrid, on February 21.

News Source: AA