Agricultural authorities in Catalonia are investigating 50 grape purchase contracts suspected of violating the food chain law by pricing crops below the actual cost of production, ara.cat reported.
The inquiry spans complaints filed since last August by farmers, agricultural organizations, and industry professionals, alongside cases opened independently by regulators through the CadeCAT inspection unit.
The Legal Framework Governing Agricultural Contracts
Under Spanish legislation, the food chain law was introduced in January 2014 and subsequently reformed in 2021 specifically to curb abusive commercial practices. The statutory text explicitly mandates that purchase prices fixed in contracts must cover the effective cost of production for primary producers, prohibiting transactions that fall beneath that financial threshold.
While the regulation originally aimed to protect farmers and livestock producers from operational collapse, regional governments retain independent inspection and sanctioning powers to enforce compliance. Surging operational expenses, including double-digit percentage hikes for agricultural diesel and fertilizers, have compressed profit margins across the primary sector, turning legal price minimums into a central battleground for autumn harvests.
Front Common Action and Pricing Concerns From Farm Associations
Major viticulturist groups, including Unió de Pagesos, established a joint front in August to push back against projected purchase prices that they characterized as exploitative. Organizations warned that large wineries and commercial buyers planned compensation schemes hovering around 30 cents per kilogram—nearly half of Incavi’s reference threshold.
Beyond baseline discounts, investigators are reviewing complex pricing structures designed to offset official rates. Industry notifications detailed arrangements where only 70 percent of a harvest would be purchased at an announced price, while the remaining 30 percent dropped as low as 12 cents per kilogram, undermining the statutory protections designed to guarantee fair income for growers.
Next Steps for Regulatory Enforcement and Industry Demonstrations
The CadeCAT unit continues to evaluate the 50 flagged contracts to determine administrative penalties under regional enforcement competencies. Meanwhile, primary sector unions have organized a major tractor demonstration in Barcelona scheduled for the 14th of the month, echoing similar large-scale protests held in February 2024.
/https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.umdoisesportes.com.br%2Fmain%2F2026%2F10%2FNS-Fixture-Head-to-Head-Email-2026-10-10T152549.681.webp)
