The Garlic Contact Group made up of producers and marketers from Spain, France, and Italy has asked Brussels to strengthen customs controls to prevent the fraudulent entry of Chinese garlic into the European Union, in particular at the Belgian border, according to information published on Wednesday, April 26.
This request was made at a meeting that the group held this week in the town of Peñafiel, Valladolid, where the participants presented the results of the National Garlic Table's report on the alleged irregularities in the imports of this product. That's why, in addition to strengthening border controls, they have asked that the possibility of creating a specific Taric code for frozen garlic be studied.
The situation becomes even more worrying for Spanish producers who not only have to compete with the Chinese garlic but have experienced an estimated 17% drop in plantation area this season, according to data from Agroseguro. In Andalusia, the area decreased by 42% compared to the previous season.
According to forecasts, this season's harvest will be significantly lower than last year's harvest, which was already low, because of the reduction in the planting area, the drought, and the phytosanitary problems that affected the crops.
Source: efeagro.com