The European Union agreement with Mercosur It threatens small producers because it reduces, and even lowers, tariffs on imported products and establishes unequal conditions among producers. Faced with this, the farmers of the Canary Islands are not giving up and are looking for ways to combat the disadvantages the agreement entails, aiming to give a face to small-scale farmers and ensure the value of their work and the products they produce. But how are they doing it? With campaigns that highlight the importance of the sector, adapt to new consumption patterns, and appeal to young people.

Unió de Pagesos de Mallorca (Mallorca Farmers' Union) has expressed its "deep disappointment and outrage" in a statement regarding the recent remarks made by the Vice President of the Balearic Government and Minister of Economy, Antoni Costa. In an interview given this Tuesday, Costa said that "the wine chosen for these holidays would be a Ribera del Duero, blatantly ignoring the excellent wine production of our islands," according to the farmers' union. Unió de Pagesos considers it "unacceptable that the highest-ranking official in the community's economy turns his back on the local primary sector at the time of peak consumption of the year." Furthermore, the union points out that the Balearic wine sector "is a benchmark of quality with Designations of Origin and Protected Geographical Indications that receive international acclaim." Therefore, the farmers' union insisted: "Recommending products from elsewhere from a public institution is not only a communication blunder, but a direct attack on food sovereignty and the sustainability of our landscape."

Unió de Pagesos de Mallorca demands that the Government make a "shield plan" for animal health against Pthis African Swine (African Swine Fever) and other threats such as avian flu, with the aim of "protecting native breeds," as explained by the farmers' union in a statement. Thus, the agricultural organization is making an "urgent" appeal to the Government to "immediately enact and implement" preventive and reinforced animal health and protection measures, based on the experience of other crises. "We cannot allow the Administration to stand idly by. The protection of our native breeds, which are part of our history and our rural identity, must be an absolute priority. We are suffering from bluetongue and we see how nodular dermatosis threatens cattle. Now, ASF and avian flu are a serious threat," stated the Secretary General of Unió de Pagesos, Sebastià Ordines.

A large proportion of farms in the Balearic Islands are run by older people who are increasingly facing greater bureaucracy and the digitalization of the sector. Furthermore, the COVID-19 crisis highlighted the usefulness of online procedures as a communication tool with the government. To help farmers navigate these administrative processes, Unió de Pagesos, together with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Natural Environment, has organized two free training courses – funded by the Balearic Islands' Agricultural and Fisheries Guarantee Fund, the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development.

The Government has set December 31 as the deadline to find a solution for the General Agrarian Association of Mallorca (AgamaAccording to sources within the Balearic Islands government speaking to ARA Baleares, "This is the deadline; otherwise, we won't have any room to maneuver or reverse the situation." Sources in the primary sector added that Agama will buy milk from one of the three producers who currently supply it until October 31, 2026, but emphasized that, starting March 31, this milk will no longer be processed in Mallorca because Damm's lease agreement with Comercial Bordoy for the facilities will expire. The situation at Agama is causing concern among farmers and agricultural associations. Joan Gaià, coordinator of Unió de Pagesos, warned in the Balearic Parliament that the closure of Agama would be "an attack on the food sovereignty" of the Balearic Islands. He also listed other issues that worry farmers, such as the lack of social consideration and the effects of climate change. "What country in the world can afford to do without the dairy industry? It's very important and continues to be a loss leader in supermarkets, which is what has brought the state and Mallorcan sectors to where they are today," he stressed. Gaià lamented that there hasn't been enough self-criticism and that no one has been "brave enough" to raise their voices against the closure of Agama. "The interests of a business group cannot take precedence over those of a people. Closing Agama is an attack on the food sovereignty of the people of the Balearic Islands," he insisted.

Farmers, professionals, and organizations such as the GOB (National Agricultural Association), Unió de Pagesos (Union of Pagesos), and the organic producers' association Apaema (Apaema) have demanded that the government fundamentally amend the draft agrarian law because it "will disfigure the countryside" and have criticized the current wording as an initiative to promote urban and tourism uses that "will end up converting farms into hotels." They also regret that the law is not being used to "promote true food sovereignty and to seriously help make agricultural activity viable on the islands," according to spokespersons for these associations told ARA Baleares. There are some points of agreement among the organizations and professionals who have presented objections, particularly regarding criticism of the urban, tourist, and speculative orientation of the countryside, which instead focuses on improving food production, which "is the basis of any agricultural regulation." The environmentalists are calling for the government to withdraw the law as drafted.

The saddler Joana Aina Tugores Avellà has died at the age of 73. Founder of the Unió de Pagesos (Union of Pagesos), she was a pioneering woman among the peasantry of Mallorca.

The Balearic Islands have experienced their warmest June since 1961, with a temperature anomaly of 3.3 degrees Celsius above average. This temperature increase adds to the difficult situation facing the Balearic Islands' countryside, which has already suffered firsthand—and continues to suffer—the consequences of climate change: drought, decreased production of some varieties, and an increased risk of disease in animals, among others. farmers They are forced to accept losses and, in addition, to make investments to try to mitigate the effects of adverse weather conditions as much as possible. "I've had to install showers for the cows because they have a very hard time with the heat. They don't eat and just lie on the ground," explains the president of the Union of Small Farmers and Ranchers of the Balearic Islands (UPA), Joana Mascaró.