Unió de Pagesos will manage the Mercapalma local producers' space.

Unió de Pagesos (UP) will take over the management of the Mercapalma producers' space, known as the 'situated', a fruit and vegetable market held every Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday within the company's facilities. It will be held through its own entity: Unió de Pagesos de Mercapalma.

The creation of this entity—of which all farmers who come to Mercapalma are members—"will allow farmers from the 'situado' to directly manage their space, eliminate intermediaries, and establish a direct relationship with the company," explained UP coordinator Joan Gaià. He also explained that the agreement with Mercapalma includes a redistribution of the market and a reduction in the contract price, reflecting "Mercapalma's clear commitment to local produce and the farmers of Mallorca."

This restructuring, as explained by Jaume Pocoví, UP spokesperson for Mercapalma, at the ARA Baleares, aims to "give customers more space to make it easier for them to shop and to park comfortably to load their products." He also emphasized that, from now on, "everything will be recycled," and believes this will mean "significant savings" in the management of waste generated during the market.

According to the Secretary General of the Unió de Pagesos (Farmers' Union), Sebastià Ordinas, this agreement is "an important milestone for the farmers of Mallorca." "It shows that when we unite and work together, we can achieve important goals for the dignity of our work," he stated. Along the same lines, he noted that this new way of organizing will allow farmers to "gain influence in the Ministry of Agriculture."

Tal how the ARA Baleares progressedThe new entity was created after the Camp Mallorquí Cooperative decided to abandon management of this space. According to the cooperative's president, Miquel Gual, assuming the fees farmers must pay to Mercapalma to sell their products "causes the entity to lose money."

Pocoví expressed satisfaction at having promoted the creation of this association to manage a space where, he said, "all of Mallorca's market gardeners have had a place" and where he himself has sold fruit and vegetables "all his life." He also believes that the agreement with Mercapalma gives "greater autonomy" to producers and asserts that it will allow them to "offer better service, with fresh, local produce that goes directly to the consumer."