Catalan farmers block Barcelona roads
Tractors protest EU Mercosur deal and farm costs
Catalan farmers brought tractors into central Barcelona to block major avenues and gather outside the regional Department of Agriculture in protest against price pressures, taxes and environmental rules they say, along with the proposed EU–Mercosur trade deal. Slow convoys set off from across Catalonia, occupying key junctions and disrupting traffic for hours while police maintained a heavy but largely unobtrusive presence and redirected vehicles.
Organized by agricultural unions and farmer associations, the demonstration warned that the Mercosur agreement would expose European producers to cheaper imports from Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay produced under looser environmental, labour and animal‑welfare standards. Protesters carried banners calling for rejection or renegotiation of the deal, demanded binding safeguards such as import limits and stricter checks on production standards, and framed the dispute as a threat to food sovereignty and the survival of rural communities.
Livestock producers in particular warned that beef and poultry imports could depress local prices amid rising costs for fuel, feed and fertilizer. Environmental concerns were prominent: demonstrators argued the deal could encourage deforestation in South America and clash with EU climate commitments. Officials from Spain’s agriculture ministry said they were aware of farmers’ demands and sought safeguards, but unions said existing protections are inadequate and enforcement risks being weak once ratified.
The Barcelona action forms part of wider farmer mobilisations across Spain and Europe against low farmgate prices, high input costs and perceived excessive bureaucracy in EU agricultural policy. While supporters praised the protesters’ defence of local production, some residents criticised the disruption. Organizers said the blockade was a warning and part of a broader campaign, vowing to escalate if national and EU authorities do not address their demands. Negotiations over Mercosur continue, and farmers have indicated they will return to the streets unless they receive concrete guarantees to protect regional agriculture.
