Catalonia's farmers demand more help over drought - BBC News

As Spain continues to be blighted by a lack of rain, farmers want more government assistance.

1 day agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Protesting farmers in Barcelona, here cooking artichokes, want more assistance to help them deal with continuing droughtBy Guy HedgecoeBBC News, BarcelonaThe smell of barbecued artichokes wafts along a row of dozens of tractors parked in central Barcelona, as rock music blares out of speakers, and wine is poured into plastic cups.

The scene is festive, but this is a protest, not a party. Hundreds of Catalan farmers have driven into their region's capital to voice their grievances, central to which is the climate.

"We're now in a situation where we have a full-on drought," says Xavier Oliva, an artichoke farmer who owns land just outside the city. "If it doesn't rain you can't plant anything."

Oliva and his colleagues are protesting about a range of issues, including what they see as overly tight EU farming regulations. But the most immediate threat to their profession is posed by lack of water, and they are calling for more direct help from the regional government.

In late January, the water level of reservoirs supplying Barcelona and the towns surrounding it in the Ter-Llobregat basin system had dropped on average to below 16% of capacity.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-68401814

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