Luis Planas maintains his criticism of Alberto Garzón but attacks the PP for using livestock for electoral purposes

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The Minister of Agriculture, Luis Planas, maintains his full-fledged disavowal of his partner in the Council of Ministers, Alberto Garzón, but has extended his criticism not only to the head of Consumption -with whom he still does not speak after the controversy-, but also to the Popular Party, whom he has accused of using livestock as a throwing weapon in the face of the next elections in Castilla y León.

Ten days after the controversy broke out over Alberto Garzón's statements in

about the "export of poor quality meat from mistreated animals" in the Spanish macro-farm system, Planas received representatives from the livestock sector, who demanded that intensive farming "not be criminalized", questioned by the Minister of Consumption.

Planas, who had already come out on Tuesday in a rush to disavow Garzón in numerous media outlets after remaining silent for several days, ratified his defense of the sector this Friday by asking for "respect" for Spanish farmers, although on this occasion he has turned his criticism of the PP, demanding that the "political manipulation" end with respect to the generated debate and that has already lasted, in the opinion of the head of Agriculture, "many days".

In this sense, Planas has criticized that the campaign launched by the PP with the slogan

"confirms" that the "concern" of the

"is not livestock but the electoral campaign in Castilla y León and create discussion and conflict" and lamented that "some only talk about livestock when there are electoral campaigns".

In this sense, he has ensured that the "balance" of the PP in its concern for the sector is limited to "two photographed poses" of its leaders in recent times.

No contact with Garzón

In parallel, the Minister of Agriculture has confessed that he has not yet spoken with Garzón about this controversy, despite the fact that they coincided on Tuesday in the Council of Ministers, but he has reiterated that his statements were "absolutely inaccurate" and "may have a political impact at an international level", although he has underlined that at the moment it is not affecting at a commercial level.

In any case, Luis Planas has recognized that "what hurts me the most" about the controversy "is the profound ignorance about the reality of Spanish livestock".

The agrarian organizations - which this Thursday announced a great mobilization of the rural world on March 20 in Madrid due to the numerous "grievances" of the Government during this legislature - have explained that the vast majority of cases of this type of exploitation are linked to small family farms and cooperatives, and "are necessary" in the current production model in the face of a high global food demand.

In addition, they have specified that they "rigorously" comply with the "abundant and strict" European, national and community legislation on animal and environmental health.

Meeting with the European Commissioner

The European Commissioner for Agriculture,

, was also present at the meeting, who in turn supported the quality of Spanish meat exports: "There is no reason" to believe that Spanish meat is of lower European quality because follows "the same standards" as the rest of the productions of the European Union, in aspects such as health, animal welfare or food safety.

With regard to agrarian organizations, the president of Asaja,

, has highlighted the need for coexistence between extensive and intensive livestock farming, giving as an example the livestock animals that are born and live for a few years in extensive and then fatten up in intensive feedlots until slaughter.

"This is the current and absolutely necessary model to feed a growing world population," Barato stressed, although he also pointed out that the livestock sector lacks the most "educational" to convey the reality and benefits of this production model. to society.

Barato has supported Luis Planas this week in his defense of the ranchers, although he has regretted that his statements, after the controversy broke out, arrived "late".

The president of Asaja has added that Garzón, with his words, "endangers the viability" of livestock farming in Spain and has asked that "they stop intoxicating" about this controversy and "leave the farmers alone."

The 'criminalization' of livestock

Meanwhile, the general secretary of COAG,

, has called for "not criminalizing" intensive farming for the fact that it is, because it is necessary in many areas of Spain, because "sometimes not everything can be extensive", and has lamented the confusion that exists, in general, about both production models, extensive and intensive.

In this sense, he recalled that in Spain there is no legislation that defines what a macro-farm is, but there are current regulations on management in the poultry and pig sector, which is complied with by the vast majority of farms.

Specifically, it refers to the decrees approved by this Government in the years 2021 and 2020, respectively, and has assessed that the Ministry of Agriculture is working with another new regulation in the same direction for the beef sector.

For his part, the general secretary of UPA,

, thanked Planas and the commissioner himself for having defended the quality of Spanish meat.

Ramos met this Thursday with Alberto Garzón himself, to whom he transferred the "discomfort" existing among the ranchers due to his statements.

This agrarian leader has requested that Spain legislate with the aim of specifying what a macro-farm is and the conditions that it must meet, and has added that now there is a good opportunity with the new decree that is being prepared regarding beef.

In addition, he stressed that "there is no animal abuse, but a vast majority of extensive, semi-intensive, ecological or intensive farms that are traditional and that do things very well."

The demands of the field

To finish, the agrarian leaders have shown their concern in the meeting with Planas and the European commissioner for aspects such as the future CAP or the exorbitant rise in production costs.

In fact, this Friday it has been confirmed that in 2021 the prices of feed for livestock registered increases of between 12% and 26.5%, depending on the species, according to data published by the Ministry of Agriculture itself. .

The most pronounced increases occurred in feed for Iberian pigs and sows.

Some types of feed far exceeded the barrier of 400 euros per tonne and it was the few that remained below 200 euros.

The agrarian mobilizations -initiated in December throughout the Spanish geography- will continue during these months through the autonomous communities until reaching a large concentration in Madrid on March 20, which will be joined by hunters and associations from the rural world in general.

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Politics Luis Planas disavows Alberto Garzón: "I am the Minister of Food and if someone talks about food, it is normal for them to call me"

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SpainSpain, world leader in legislative restrictions for the activity in the 'macrofarms'

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