In an interview, Aguado highlighted that the problems of the Valencian agricultural sector have persisted for a decade, with new challenges constantly emerging. Instability in the Middle East is one of his biggest current concerns, as wars directly impact the costs of fertilizers, fuels, and energy, especially affecting export fruits and vegetables.
“"Brussels promised us alternative markets, but it has mocked us; it has only approved trade agreements that had been negotiated for years."
The president of AVA-ASAJA has sharply criticized the European Union, accusing it of acting as an 'enemy at home' due to its permissiveness with unfair competition from third countries. According to Aguado, the promise of alternative markets to compensate for the loss of the Russian market in 2014 has not been fulfilled, and recently signed trade agreements had already been under negotiation for years, offering no real solutions to the Valencian sector.
Another point of contention is the difference in regulations between local and imported products. Aguado has denounced that in Europe, most phytosanitary products have been eliminated, leaving farmers without tools to combat pests and causing significant production losses. He mentioned the case of bomba rice and Albufera rice in Valencia, whose production has drastically fallen due to fungal resistance and the lack of effective products.
This situation has led to the abandonment of 180,000 hectares of cultivated land in the Comunitat Valenciana and an alarming aging of the agricultural population, with almost 50% of farmers over 65 years old and only one in 300 under 25. Aguado emphasized the need for a 'Marshall Plan' for Valencian agriculture, which includes the modernization of farms and the creation of owner societies to address minifundio (small landholdings) and excessive bureaucracy.
