Farmers take to streets as situation 'has not improved in one year'

Catalan farmers are taking to the streets on Thursday, coinciding with the first anniversary of the major demonstrations across the territory. They claim that the "situation has not improved in one year."

Workers started new mobilizations ahead of a larger one scheduled for Monday, planning to block several roads across Catalonia.

Institutional response "has been insufficient," a statement shared with the Catalan government reads. Meanwhile, authorities call for "ordered and civilized" protests, as there "must be a balance" between the right to demonstrate and drivers' right to travel.

While the significant activity is scheduled for Monday, some farmers gathered before Girona and Ebre's Catalan government delegations on Tuesday.

Many farmers in Girona are affected by the ongoing drought, with those in the Alt Empordà county facing watering restrictions once again.

"We have been two years without watering," Simón Coll, a member of Revolta Pagesa, said while criticizing the fact that the drought measures in place limit watering the Muga area but allow "football fields to be watered."

In Catalonia's southernmost point, Tortosa, farmers discussed the competition they face from third parties in the citrus production, as well as the drop in oil prices, the ongoing drought, and the lack of future farmers. 

"The situation across the territory starts to be severe as there are a lot of farmers that are having a lot of complications," Joan Regolf, president of the Revolta Pagesa farmers group, said during the demonstration in Tortosa.

"We have been told that many people are quitting, and many others are overwhelmed," he added.

One year after the major protests across the territory, farmers asked the Catalan government to execute the aid, and the agreed-upon measures were implemented.

"The cabinet has a lot of willingness, but the problem is that the measures do not come into force, and time is running out with many people having to eat and face a lot of costs, which is the main problem we are now facing," Regolf said.

Coinciding with the anniversary, many social media messages call for new demonstrations to return to the streets one year later and for turning Catalonia upside down to plant the future.

"Many people are calling to take on the streets once again as they cannot continue with the situation," Regolf told the Catalan News Agency (ACN).

Authorities solving decade-long issues in months

Coinciding with the anniversary of the farmers protests, the Catalan agriculture ministry said that they respect the requests and complaints issued by the workers. But, warn that they cannot solve in just five months those things that have not been tackled in the last 10 years.

The government was voted in back in August after Socialist Salvador Illa was elected president on August 8 after an election in May.

The cabinet, however, says that they have been meeting with all parties and set several objectives that coincide with the different requests from Revolta Pagesa.

Authorities call "to work together" with no confrontations to be able to have an agricultural sector that can be "resilient, and prosperous, so people can make a dignified living," minister Òscar Ordeig wrote in a letter addressed to farmers.