Navalmoral de la Mata, 26 September 2026 – The Junta de Extremadura is pressing for a level playing field for the region’s agriculture in relation to imports from third countries. Vice-President Abel Bautista linked the call, at the opening of the XIV Feria Agroalimentaria de Navalmoral in Navalmoral de la Mata, to an appeal to national and European regulators to ensure “uniform rules for all market participants”.
Bautista highlighted the role of the agri-food sector in the Spanish region of Extremadura . According to the regional government, the sector generates production worth around €3.6 billion, accounts for about 15 per cent of regional value added and employs more than 77,000 people. Export revenues of more than €1.9 billion were reported for 2025, equivalent to nearly half the region’s foreign trade volume. The government cites these figures as grounds for additional political and regulatory support.
The Vice-President – who is also Minister for the Presidency, Coordination of Government Action, the Interior and Emergencies – structured his remarks around three areas: first, an assessment of the sector’s economic position; second, the political demand for equal requirements in international competition; and third, a reminder of existing regional measures to strengthen businesses. Bautista did not provide a specific analysis of the causes of the alleged competitive disadvantages in relation to third countries in his speech; this is a political assessment.
Bautista cited current measures by the Junta, including grants to modernise farms covering up to 60 per cent of the investment, and aid of up to €70,000 for newcomers to agriculture. He also pointed to improved subsidies for agricultural insurance to cushion the risks to yields. A recently approved scheme to consolidate self-employment, with a budget of more than €47 million, is expected to reach around 16,000 people, according to the government.
The XIV Feria Agroalimentaria de Navalmoral is seen by the regional government as a platform for direct contact between producers and consumers and for marketing regional products. The event has no immediate impact on trade or EU agricultural policy; any changes to the rules require decisions at national or European level. The immediate occasion is the opening of the fair and the associated political positioning of the Junta de Extremadura.
Editor: Daniel Mayer (Article created with AI assistance).