UPA Granada has warned that the cultivation of slimy onion is on the verge of disappearing in the province; and not without reason. The organization stated that even though producing it costs 21 cents, producers are only paid 7 cents for their onions. A price that contrasts with the prices paid by consumers in large supermarkets and local stores, where slimy onions are sold for no less than 1.30 euro per kilo.
The Secretary-General of UPA Granada, Nicolas Chica, said it was a shame that a crop that contributes to the sustainability of the rural environment is close to its final disappearance: “There are barely 60 farmers left and about 50 cultivated hectares in the entire province.”
“It’s unfortunate the little importance that the people in charge of legislating give to farmers. That’s why the current regulations to guarantee fair prices at source don’t work,” he added. “We have suffered a marked loss of capital in the last decade, mainly because large supermarkets decide the prices they’ll pay farmers, which are always below production costs, without caring, of course, for their profitability.”
“Large supermarkets play with the sensitivity of consumers by launching fictitious campaigns to support farmers when the reality is quite different: they crush us with ruinous prices and by importing onions from other countries,” the general secretary of UPA Granada added.
To help farmers and not wait for the administrations to do their job, UPA Granada has placed its facilities at the disposal of producers so they can sell 5 kg bags at 2 euro. “UPA Granada’s office is open and available to all our farmers and ranchers so that they have a space to sell their product directly to consumers. The first support action will be the sale of 5-kilogram bags of onions at 2 euro so that people become aware of the importance of protecting a crop that is necessary for the economy and for the environmental sustainability of our province,” Nicolas Chica concluded.
Source: agronewscastillayleon.com