Platform 6F criticizes not being included in the meetings with the ministry and the countryside is preparing for a large tractor-trailer in Madrid

The 6F Platform, a movement that emerged on social networks and is responsible for a large part of the farmer mobilizations during the last two weeks, has criticized that the Ministry of Agriculture has met this week with agricultural organizations (Asaja, COAG and UPA), but not with “who started the mobilizations”. Likewise, the 6F collective has recognized the “wear and tear” suffered by their demands, although they have declared that their protests are not going to stop, thus confirming new demonstrations for this week. Among them, Platform 6F will join the large tractor-trailer that is being prepared for this Wednesday in Madrid in front of the Ministry of Agriculture. Nearly 500 tractors and 100 buses from different autonomous communities will attend.

This was expressed this Monday in a press conference by Xaime da Pena, spokesperson for the organization, who assured that, although the balance of these last two weeks is “positive” because many farmers have taken to the streets and it has been possible to have meetings with the ministry, the Government “has left aside” the farmers by not including them in the negotiations. According to the spokesperson, the ministry wants to have the associations “at its side” by meeting only with them, which is why it has been negative about achieving real changes for the rural world: “I believe that they are going to give aid and subsidies , and in four years we will be back to the same thing.”

Regarding these meetings, Da Pena has precisely criticized the package of 18 measures that the Minister of Agriculture, Luis Planas, presented to the agricultural associations last Thursday.. These ranged from the creation of the State Food Information and Control Agency to reinforce the food chain law, to incentives to encourage the incorporation of young people into the sector or the contracting of agricultural insurance.. Some measures that were rejected by the associations, who considered them “insufficient” and therefore called to continue with the mobilizations.

“All these promises have to materialize, not remain a commitment. In the end, Planas ended up saying that they depend on Europe and, therefore, that commitment does not depend on it, how can someone commit to something if it does not depend on them?” Da Pena stated.

The spokesperson has also recognized the “wear and tear” that the Platform's actions have been suffering since there are farmers who “do not feel comfortable” organizing demonstrations based on this Platform.. “This has perhaps been achieved by the political spheres or the media sphere itself,” he noted, recognizing that there are farm workers who have been dissatisfied, “close to 20%” and who prefer to be represented now. with another organization.

The Platform has become “politicized”

Among the reasons why some farmers have been dissatisfied, he has recognized that the Platform has become “politicized”, which has led Da Pena to also announce his resignation as spokesperson, although he has indicated that he will continue to provide support as legal advisor.. “It is not because of internal logistics, but because of external agents,” he maintained.

Despite this, the spokesperson has reiterated that the balance of these two weeks of protests by the Platform has been a “resounding success.”. “Something that appears from social networks and from having the associations and the unions themselves against them…. The Platform has a lot of power to mobilize. The other day there was a meeting with Luis Planas and what we have to think about is that what made the countryside heard were the mobilizations and the tractor movements, and Platform 6F did that,” he declared.

More mobilizations on February 21

Despite the wear and tear, the spokesperson has also confirmed that, for the moment, they will continue to organize many more protests. As detailed, the Platform plans for this week a mobilization this Tuesday on the Cantabrian coast, another on Wednesday in the city of Malaga and more protests for this Thursday in Aragón, Cádiz and, especially, in the port of Valencia, where Da Pena has assured that the demonstration will be “very significant.”

In the same way, 6F will participate in the Madrid protests on February 26 called by the organizations COAG, Asaja and UPA, as well as in the large tractor rally that is being prepared for this Wednesday, February 21, also in Madrid in front of the headquarters. of the Ministry of Agriculture. Nearly 500 tractors and 100 buses with field workers from all the autonomous communities are expected to attend.

This demonstration, organized by the Union of Farmers and Livestock Unions, may even have an even higher attendance figure, as stated this Monday by the spokesperson for this organization, Luis Cortés.. Up to six columns of tractors will enter the capital from different radials and will meet at 10:30 in the Plaza de la Independencia, to continue en masse to Atocha.

According to Cortés, this new protest occurs after the “deception” that, according to this association, are the 18 measures announced by Luis Planas, since “none of these proposals are going to fix any of the problems.”. For this reason, Cortés has called for the development of the food chain law that allows the definition and calculation of production costs, as well as a royal omnibus decree that includes its needs, including the modification of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). , since the European objectives “can be met with less absurd measures.”