Fruit and vegetable growers are facing a crisis situation
EU agricultural co-operative Copa & Cogeca have welcomed the EU Commission's move to extend support for the fruit and vegetables to 2017 but warn of insufficient measures.
The co-operative said current measures are 'nowhere near enough to have an impact or compensate producers for their losses.'
Secretary-General Pekka Pesonen warned: "Fruit and vegetable growers are still facing a crisis situation, after being badly affected by the Russian ban on farm exports which was the biggest outlet for our exports.
"Prices have still not recovered and exports in March were still down on previous levels."
"We welcome as a positive step the sense of urgency the Commission has applied to this and that support has been extended from 1st July to 30 June 2017.
"But its unacceptable that the Commission has cut by 70% the quantities eligible for support under the new EU aid scheme and that compensation to producers for the withdrawals is so low," added Pesonen.
Copa and Cogeca have consequently urged the EU Commission to:
• Set the maximum guaranteed quantities allocated to the Member States based on the amount they exported to Russia and on their fruit and vegetable production.
• Raise the level of compensatory aid for withdrawing produce from the market, prioritisingpurposes other than free distribution.
• Ensure the deadline to pay farmers is shortened.
• Raise the volume for the Member States from 3,000 to 5,000 tonnesand grant them flexibility on the eligibility of products.