Protest to highlight farming crisis

Unió de Pagesos (UP), a Catalan agricultural organisation, is calling for a major protest in Barcelona on Tuesday 14 October 2026, as part of a growing outcry over the financial crisis affecting farmers. The demonstration will bring together farmers, many expected to arrive on tractors, to demand urgent government intervention. The mobilisation begins at 12:00 PM with a gathering in front of the Spanish Central Government Delegation at Carrer Mallorca, 278. From there, participants will march to the Department of Agriculture and conclude at Plaça Sant Jaume, outside the Palau de la Generalitat. Farmers are urged to register in advance via a form provided by Unió de Pagesos to help coordinate transport and logistics. The return is scheduled for 5:00 PM.

Demands for emergency aid

Raquel Serrat, national coordinator of Unió de Pagesos, said the sector is suffering from a string of consecutive crises, calling the current situation 'insustainable' and a structural threat to food sovereignty in Catalonia. The group blames rising production costs, unfair competition from imported goods, poor commercial practices, climate challenges, and excessive bureaucracy. UP is demanding emergency financial aid, to be channelled through the Contingency Fund, with direct payments ranging from €8,500 to €17,000 per farmer, depending on the size of their agricultural workforce unit (UTA). These figures were formally proposed to Agriculture Minister Òscar Ordeig ahead of the 2026 budget talks. The union also calls for a reduced VAT on agricultural production, specific electricity rates for irrigation, minimally taxed professional agricultural diesel, updated IRPF tax modules for 2026, exemption from periodic agricultural machinery inspections (ITV), and fairer social security contributions for self-employed farmers.

For the land. For the country. For tomorrow.

The protest slogan, 'PAGESIA O FOC!' (FARMING OR FIRE!), underscores the urgency felt by rural communities. Unió de Pagesos has launched a dedicated platform to rally support and coordinate actions ahead of the 14 October march.

Reported by diaricatalunya.cat, ACN, viaempresa.cat, uniopagesos.cat, metropoliabierta.cat, ara.cat, Agrodigital, Diari Catalunya.