Milk, fruit and fish, the big ones affected by the transport strike

A supermarket in Madrid. / Eph

Dairy farms make a desperate appeal as large markets are blocked and the countryside feels a lack of supplies

The trade began to notice this Thursday the first
Effects of carrier strike that it is managing to block some of the strategic points for the distribution of food and stressing the entire economy, which sees an initial trickle of problems even as there were not in full confinement, with the entire country paralyzed. The countryside, the farms, the fish markets and the large markets are repositioning themselves to take alternative measures to the lack of supplies, while requesting support measures from the Government to guarantee their work. These are, in this order, the sectors most affected by the strikes.

The cattle farms are already seeing how the lack of trucks to take the milk works against them: they barely have between 24 and 48 hours to avoid having to throw thousands of liters of milk into the sink that cannot leave those farms. The cows continue to produce. For this reason, the Inlac organization calls for "everyone's responsibility not to paralyze the dairy sector or cause its collapse." This Wednesday the National Federation of Dairy Industries (Fenil) pointed out that "most of the Spanish dairy industry" would paralyze its activity due to the called strike. Although another organization, the Union of Farmers and Ranchers Unions wanted to send a message of calm. The owners are still waiting for the distribution to be guaranteed, although the supermarket chains have not yet noticed a lack of supply, except for specific cases.

After the problem of dairy products, the other large sector that generates the most concern at the moment is that of fruit and vegetables. Its production has more margin to endure without being distributed for a few days. However, the strikers are trying to boycott specific shipments. Specifically, those who know that they are directed to the network of central markets in large cities, where they arrive to later be transported to shops, stores and supermarkets. The sector organizations warn of a "significant reduction" in the arrival of fruit and vegetable merchandise to their units, although "the supply of all products has been guaranteed." They warn that if the problems of fruit and vegetable supply persist, mainly from the southern southeast and areas of origin with the highest production such as Almería, Granada, Huelva, Málaga or Murcia, "there will be shortages, even shortages, of the most perishable": strawberries, eggplant, zucchini or tomato are the most affected.

Fresh fish products also anticipate problems if the strike persists in these terms of infrastructure blockade. Because the pickets go to certain fishing ports with fresh raw material found in the fish markets. The Aecoc Sea Products Committee points out that it is the North coast, as well as that of Andalusia, that may suffer the most in this context. In Galicia, for example, deep-sea vessels are unloading their catches in ports without being able to distribute them. In the case of Andalusia, the inshore has been forced to moor ships in many ports.

Without feed and other similar products, farms cannot supply themselves with raw material to feed all the animals. If trucks do not leave, they do not enter with these products either, which directly impacts the normal operation of any livestock farm. This circumstance further aggravates the situation of the sector, already impacted by the energy rise.