The Spanish primary sector continues working every day to keep supermarkets supplied. Nevertheless, the state of alarm’s constrains are causing major difficulties in their daily lives and leading to significant economic loses.
Day laborers are not arriving from Morocco
In Huelva, where the strawberry harvest continues, there are not enough workers. Seasonal workers who arrive every year from Morocco have not been able to enter Spain due to the closure of Spanish borders for the transit of people although not of goods.
Movements within the country are affecting farmers as well. The limitation in the number of occupants in all vehicles alters the work routine, causing delays and higher costs. The government has just rectified this and now allows two people per vehicle in the agriculture and transportation sectors.
Supermarkets are giving away free flowers
One of the sectors most affected by the pandemic is that of flowers and ornamental plants. Growers had already made their plantations in anticipation of the months of maximum sales in Spain, such as Father’s Day, Easter, First Communions or Mother’s Day.
Now, the closure of open-air markets and flower shops means that, according to a sector representative, around 50-60% of the production is lost. “Once they’ve been cut, we’ve taken them to the supermarkets, to be given away to shoppers, so that at least someone can have some joy in such sad times”, a grower from Extremadura says.
Source: Elindependiente (via www.agroberichtenbuitenland.nl)