MADRID (AP) — Mirroring protests across Europe, thousands of farmers in Spain staged a second day of tractor demonstrations on Wednesday across the country, blocking highways to demand changes in European Union farming policies and measures to combat production cost hikes and severe drought.
The protests, involving several thousand people on tractors and in other vehicles, haven't been backed by Spain´s three main farming organizations, which have called for separate protests in the coming days.
Speaking in Spain's parliament on Wednesday, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez pledged to help farmers and take their case to Europe.
Agriculture Minister Luis Planas Puchades met with farmers’ unions on Friday, but failed to persuade them to halt the protests.
There have been other protests in countries such as France, Poland and Greece in recent days.
Persons:
Efe, Spain ´, Pedro Sánchez, Luis Planas Puchades, Hadja Lahbib, Maroš Šefčovič, Raf Casert
Organizations:
MADRID, Agriculture Ministry, Agriculture, European Commission, Foreign
Locations:
Europe, Spain, Union, Castellon, Jerez, State, Barcelona's, Spain's Catalonia, Madrid, Ukraine, France, Poland, Greece, Belgium, Brussels