Over 100 Tractors to Bring Valencia to a Standstill as Farmers Fight ‘Unfair’ Trade Deal and Low Prices

Valencia is preparing for a major show of force from the countryside, with farmers planning to drive more than 100 tractors into the city in protest at an EU–South America trade agreement and the prices they receive for their products. Unions say the demonstration is designed to make visible a crisis that has been building for years in Spain’s fields and orchards.

When and where the protest will hit

The tractor convoy is due to set off from the outskirts of Valencia late on Monday morning, gathering near key access roads before heading towards the city centre at a slow pace. The route is expected to include major avenues and busy junctions so that the impact is felt by commuters, businesses and local institutions.

Police will escort the columns and apply rolling road closures, but long tailbacks and delays are almost guaranteed while the protest is underway. Drivers are being advised to avoid the affected corridors, use ring roads where possible and switch to public transport if they need to travel into the city.

Who is behind the tractor protest

The action has been called by Unaspi and other platforms representing independent farmers and ranchers from across the Valencia region. Participants include citrus growers, vegetable producers, cereal farmers and mixed farms that combine arable land with livestock.

Many of these holdings are family-run operations that rely on seasonal harvests and already operate on very tight margins. Organisers say they chose Valencia because it is both a major urban centre and a symbol of Spain’s export agriculture, especially citrus.

Why farmers say the trade deal is “unfair”

At the heart of the protest is the planned EU agreement with the Mercosur bloc, which would make it easier for South American produce to enter the European market. Farmers in Spain argue that this will expose them to competition from countries where wages, taxes and environmental requirements are much lower.

They insist that Spanish producers are required to follow strict rules on pesticides, animal welfare and traceability, while imports from abroad often do not face the same standards. In their view, this amounts to playing a rigged game in which local farms carry extra costs but are forced to compete on price with cheaper imports.

Farm-gate prices that no longer add up

Alongside the trade deal, demonstrators are highlighting the financial squeeze created by low farm-gate prices and rising costs. Many say that by the time the harvest is sold, energy, fertiliser, labour, fuel and machinery have eaten up almost everything they earn.

Farmers complain that the gap between what they receive and what consumers pay in the supermarket has widened sharply, with most of the margin staying in the hands of intermediaries and large retailers. They warn that without a better share of the final price, more small and medium-sized farms will close.

Part of a wider wave of farmer unrest

The Valencia tractor protest does not stand alone: farmer mobilisations have been taking place for days in other parts of Spain against the EU–Mercosur deal. Tractors and roadblocks have already appeared in regions such as Galicia, Catalonia and the Basque Country, mirroring similar actions across the EU.

Across Europe, farmers in France, Germany, Greece and other countries have also driven tractors into cities and blocked key roads to pressure governments and EU institutions to rethink the agreement. Critics fear that the deal could accelerate the decline of small-scale European agriculture.

What farmers want to change

Organisers in Valencia are calling for the ratification of the EU–Mercosur agreement to be halted and renegotiated with stronger protections for local agriculture. One of their key demands is the introduction of “mirror clauses” so that imported products must meet the same environmental, health and labour standards as those imposed on EU farmers.

They are also asking for tougher enforcement of rules against selling below cost, more transparency in contracts along the food chain and support measures for sectors most exposed to international competition. Without these changes, unions warn that farm closures and rural depopulation will continue.

Expected disruption in Valencia

Authorities anticipate significant disruption while the convoy is moving, especially around Valencia Nord station and government buildings where rallies and speeches are planned. Traffic lights and junctions along the route will be heavily affected as tractor columns move slowly through the city.

Residents are being urged to plan ahead, allow extra time for essential journeys and avoid trying to push through the convoy with cars or delivery vehicles. Local businesses in the centre may see delays in deliveries and a drop in footfall for part of the day, although organisers stress that their aim is to be disruptive without causing damage.

What happens next

The Valencia protest is one step in a broader calendar of actions planned by Spanish farming organisations in the coming weeks. National-level demonstrations are already being prepared in Madrid and other cities as unions try to keep pressure on both the Spanish government and EU institutions.

Whether the tractor march changes the course of the trade deal remains to be seen, but it sends a clear message that many farmers feel they are running out of room to manoeuvre. For them, bringing tractors into Valencia’s streets is a last resort to keep their way of life from disappearing.