• ‘Sector denounces it is a problem in Region of Murcia, provinces of Almería and Alicante – and Toledo and Madrid’

A strike by the Platform for the Defence of the National and International Road Freight Transport Sector has prevented 160 trucks from accessing the docks of the Port of Cartagena to carry load and unload 14,000 tons of grain daily.

As reported in The Leader, Sabic, are the industry most affected by the strike, with Apicose the employers’ association of feed producers in the Region of Murcia, estimate they are running out of 14,000 tons of raw materials each day.

The company distribute to almost 12,000 livestock farms, with the action putting at risk the deaths thousands of animals.

Sabic carries out operations of 55 trucks daily to load raw material for its La Aljorra plant, along with the export of 30 containers.

Following a picket on the CT-34 preventing the passage of trucks has lead to the general director, Fermín Rol, requesting help from the Government Delegation.

The Delegation has informed Rol the Civil Guard is controlling the access point.

Cereal import companies are also being affected increqsing the crisis in cereal imports, due to the war in Ukraine with Russia.

“We are doing everything possible so that traffic in the Port of Cartagena continues at its normal pace.

“We want to send a message of calm and indicate that the Government Delegation has shown us their support and has promised us to put all the mechanisms that are in their hand to avoid any type of problem in the transport of goods on the access road to the docks,” said Rol.

The strike began on February 14 and is intended to be indefinite, leading to no trucks from small and medium-sized transport companies moving.

“We need minimum services to be respected,” said a spokesperson from Apicose.

Apicose also denounces the lack of dialogue and action by the Government Delegation to reach a solution.

A crisis committee has been formed including the association’s president, Ginés Rubio; vice president, Juan Cava; general director of Apicosee, Natalia López; and Miguel López, member of the Board of Directors.

“We respect the transport strike and we share the reasons, since we also have trucks, but we need minimum services to be respected because the animals have not eaten for days,” said Ginés Rubio, president of the association.

The sector denounces that it is a problem not only in the Region of Murcia, but also in the neighboring provinces of Almería and Alicante, and also in Toledo and Madrid.

The Region of Murcia is reported to have between 10 and 12 million kilos of feed produced daily not reaching the farms.