He will ask the Observatory for everyone to do their part to ensure that food prices continue to decrease
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The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas, has ruled out the latest proposal from Podemos to deploy a 14.4% bonus for the basic shopping basket, as well as to cap food prices.
Specifically, the deployment of this measure would be combined with a control of the prices set by the supermarkets on a weekly basis, and the imposition of fines for those distribution chains that took advantage of this subsidy to improve their profits.
“The caps do not seem correct to me, because not only are they not legally possible, but they would also economically harm the food chain and especially the primary sector,” Planas concluded at a press conference after meeting with Asaja, Coag and UPA at the Agrarian Advisory Council.
The head of the branch has reiterated that the Government is “adopting measures that have already given an initial result.” “Our intention is to persist in them because it is a good way to combat the rise in prices. There are those who believe that taxes are not necessary and that the reduction of any type of tax is positive, but I do not think so,” he said. settled.
“The Government’s intention is to persist in these measures, but we must be practical and effective. This measure is practical and effective and I hope it will give results. Any other measure would not be more effective than the ones we are adopting,” he stressed.
In this way, the head of Agriculture has rejected the inclusion of meat and fish in the VAT reduction list, as claimed by the sector and agricultural organizations. “We are not contemplating it. We are talking about cost inflation that derives from a higher energy cost, any other measure would not be more effective than the ones we are adopting”, he pointed out.
Regarding the impact of the VAT cut on the CPI for the month of January, Planas believes that the measure has been effective because it has slowed down the escalation of prices.
“We have managed to put a stop to this situation, we persist with this measure with the continuation of the VAT decrease and also with the bonus that combined with the recently approved measures are mechanisms to respond to the situation,” he indicated.
Planas recalled that next Monday food prices will be analyzed at the Food Chain Observatory. “The chain has behaved correctly, each one has done their homework. Each one is doing what they should do, but we want those prices to decrease,” he indicated.
“My message for Monday’s meeting is clear. First, thanks to everyone’s good performance and work. Then listen to see the analysis that each link in the chain makes of the situation and ask and insist that each one do their part to ensure that food prices continue to decline,” he said.
ADVANCES AID TO THE SECTOR FOR SHEEP POX
On the other hand, Planas has advanced to the representatives of the agricultural organizations that a Royal Decree of aid to the livestock sector will soon be approved for the replacement of the cattle that have had to be sacrificed for the eradication of sheep pox.
The head of the branch has indicated that there are currently 26 outbreaks of sheep pox, half of which affect Andalusia and Castilla-La Mancha, for which 37,000 heads have had to be sacrificed.
At the meeting, Asaja, Coag and UPA have asked the Ministry for aid for the beekeeping sector, “small in size, but socially important”, according to Planas, who will try to give specific aid to this sector that is going through a “moment of difficulty”.
