Rice growers challenge free trade agreement between the European Union and Mercosur

An unacceptable agreement. The free trade agreement between the European Union and Mercosur reached in recent days is certainly not in the interests of European rice growers. On the contrary. "European farmers are rightly up in arms," says Natalia Bobba, president of the National Rice Board, "because the agreement lacks the principle of reciprocity, which is essential to prevent agri-food products obtained without respecting environmental and food safety standards from entering the European Union, which, instead, must be guaranteed for our products." As for rice, a zero-duty quota of 10,000 tons is expected to be granted to South American countries for the first year, which will increase by 10,000 tons each year until reaching a maximum of 60,000 tons. "Once again the European Commission has gone straight down its own path, regardless of the strong discontent expressed by the entire European agricultural world - continues Bobba - The National Rice Board will work to ensure that ...