Marín (Eucofel): "The fruit and vegetable sector has more future than present"

"The fruit and vegetable sector has more future than present", says the president of Eucofel, the Spanish Juan Marín, emphatically in an interview with Efeagro in which he reviews his situation in Europe and Spain, and talks about the rise in consumption by the pandemic, among other issues.

Effects of the pandemic

Marín, as a defender of the interests of fruit and vegetable producers in the European Union (EU), is convinced that this activity should not lose competitiveness and, for this, he trusts that the funds from the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism will help to enhance this.

In an interview with the Efe agency, Marín explained that, in his opinion, the covid-19, "forced agriculture to reinvent itself to supply the market safely at work," has made it clear that "Europe does not have to depend on from third countries to feed themselves. '

"The pandemic has left its mark on consumption," he points out, after stating that "among the great beneficiaries are the European distribution chains, which have found a niche of new customers."

The demand for healthy food

The demand for healthy products will drive an upcoming promotional campaign that Eucofel has carried out, since 2019, to promote their consumption through the CuTE programs.

Marín highlights European fruit and vegetables and criticizes the lack of greater control at the Community borders of consignments from third countries, "to which the same rules of the game do not apply."

Marín also regrets that agricultural activity is used as a "bargaining chip" in the signing of EU agreements with non-EU countries, but is hopeful that the Joe Biden Administration will lead to greater European exports to the United States.

What he does believe is a losing battle in the short and medium term is that the Russian veto, in force since 2014, on the entry of community fruits and vegetables is reversed, since Eucofel has not received a response from the European Commission to its requirements for that the foundations are laid to try to change the current situation.

Consequences of Brexit

Regarding the United Kingdom's exit from the EU, he points out that since January 1, European perishable products "enter the British market normally", but that after the stockpiling in December, transport costs have risen.

"The trucks with fruits and vegetables arrive from the EU full to the United Kingdom and return empty, and now we are in the war of who pays that increase in cost, if the British consumer, the importer or the producer", who is blunt in stating that "the farmer has to be guaranteed his margin and cannot sell below costs."

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