At the last meeting of the National Association of Producers and Marketers of Garlic, held in Las Pedroñeras (Cuenca), on July 29, within the events scheduled for the celebration of the International Fair of Garlic (FIDA 2016) of this Manchega locality, analyzed the current situation through which the garlic sector crosses.
Within the framework of the European Union, with the entry into force of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1237 on November 6, 2016, regarding the regime of import and export certificates, where the mandatory issuance of a certificate is extended for the importation of garlic until September 30, 2017, ANPCA has agreed to re-request the Commission to access the data collected by the new computer system for import control that aims to replace the current system of Import Certificates. In consideration of ANPCA, this access is fundamental for the verification of the good functioning and the effectiveness of the new system since otherwise, it would not be accepted by the sector the substitution of the current system that has proved to be effective in the fight against fraud in numerous cases.
Also within this European framework, ANPCA has asked the European Commission to carry out a review of the current “quota of imports” established for Chinese garlic with the proposal of abandonment of the European Union made by the United Kingdom. In view of this situation, the “import quota” must be readjusted to the extent that it has been updated with the entry of other countries into the European Union, taking into account that the readjustment must be made by the percentage of participation of the United Kingdom in the global garlic consumption of the European Union. Therefore, from ANPCA has been requested to the Directorate General of Agriculture of the European Commission, through its delegation in Brussels, the performance of impact studies on the import quota of Chinese garlic corresponding to the departure from the United Kingdom of the whole of the European Union.
Regarding the national framework, ANPCA has estimated the current crop as very satisfactory in terms of quantity and quality, and expects that this year’s marketing campaign will develop in good profitability terms for the Spanish garlic producer. With the finalization in the next dates of the harvest of white garlic in the northernmost areas of Spain, a more faithful image of the total national production can be offered.
The National Association of Garlic Producers and Marketers, ANPCA, represents more than 1,800 producers and the 47 most important garlic marketing companies in Spain, which together account for 70% of the total production marketed.
