Spain: The XXXVII Seminar on Herbaceous Crops in ASAJA-Sevilla addresses a 23% drop in cereal production

The article reports on the XXXVII Edition of the Seminar on Herbaceous Crops by ASAJA-Sevilla in Écija, in collaboration with the Fundación Caja Rural del Sur and the LIFE Agromitiga Project. The event provided insights into the current state and future perspectives of cereals and oilseeds, highlighting the challenges and opportunities for arable crops under the new environmental architecture of the CAP for 2023. The meeting came amidst concerns over declining production, escalating input costs, and market volatility, with the winter cereal harvest facing its most expensive campaign due to high production costs and adverse weather conditions, leading to a significant drop in yields. Additionally, the event discussed the implications of the war in Ukraine on agricultural markets, including rising prices for energy, fertilizers, and cereals and oilseeds, as well as the strategic increase in sunflower cultivation in Seville and Andalusia to mitigate the shortages. The article underscores the critical economic situation faced by the agricultural sector and offers recommendations for farmers to improve pricing through cooperatives amidst the market's extreme volatility.