Catalan farmers lift last blockade of A-2 highway 

The farmers who set up a blockade of the A-2 highway in Tàrrega – on the route between Barcelona and Lleida – earlier this week, called off their last blockade around noon on Saturday, ending the last five days of protests.  

Following a four-hour meeting with farmers in Barcelona on Thursday, Climate Action minister David Mascort and farmers reached an agreement, which included adding "Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries" to the name of his department and to reorganize the water supply division of the Catalan Water Agency (ACA). 

Mascort also announced a new supplementary aid of €200 per hectare for cereal producers in areas where irrigation is prohibited due to the ongoing drought. 

While most farmers called off their blockade,  farmers in Tàrrega decided to continue theirs to show their skepticism of the deal.

They have since warned that if the negotiations don’t continue, they may resume protests during Easter week. 

Although the farmers have left the A-2 highway, it won’t be fully open until later Saturday.

Agreement

Following a four-hour meeting with farmers in Barcelona on Thursday, Climate Action minister David Mascort agreed to add "Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries" to the name of his department and to reorganize the water supply division of the Catalan Water Agency (ACA). 

Mascort also announced a new supplementary aid of €200 per hectare for cereal producers in areas where irrigation is prohibited due to the ongoing drought. 

Why are farmers protesting?

Red tape is farmers' main concern across Europe. They argue that EU bureaucracy is overly complicated and time-consuming, leading to wasted resources on paperwork. 

Experts note that strict European regulations are affecting farmers' profit margins, with excessive controls on traceability, mandatory training, changing regulations, and challenges in processing subsidies.

While European farmers struggle with burdensome red tape and adhere to strict environmental and food safety laws, a significant portion of the food consumed in the EU is sourced from countries outside the bloc at significantly lower prices.

Catalonia is also experiencing its worst drought on record, and farmers have been facing water restrictions for nearly three years.

Recently, the Catalan government declared a drought emergency in the Ter-Llobregat system, which supplies water to 6 million people. In this area, farmers have had to reduce irrigation by 80% and livestock farmers by half.

To learn more about the farmers' protests, listen to the podcast below.