Spain: Concern in the sugar beet sector about unequal conditions

Marta Alcaide The sugar beet sector is concerned about the unequal treatment suffered by both farmers and the crop within the EU framework with regard to sugar imports from Ukraine and Mercosur. Uncertainty in the sector is increasing while representatives of the EU and Latin America are making progress in the negotiation of Mercosur and the Trade Agreement with Ukraine. The General Association of Sugar Manufacturers (AGFAE) is concerned about the impact of both treaties on the sector, highlighting some of its most important points. «Our sector is facing regulatory changes and modifications of the rules of the game in the international panorama that threaten the competitiveness and long-term viability of the sector in Spain and in the EU», the organisation points out. One of the sector's concerns continues to be the ban on the use of certain active ingredients to combat crop pests and diseases. This ban entails an extra cost, as more expensive alternative resources have to be ...