Farmers block A3 and Mercazaragoza, forum reports

Tractors block Valencia while TV looks away

Thousands of farmers have blocked roads in Valencia and surrounded Mercazaragoza. The Guardia Civil had to intervene to control traffic on the A3. According to those trinc the event, television barely mentioned it. The rural protest again highlights the same tension: those who block roads don't make the news; those receiving subsidies don't either.

What is happening in the countryside and why it isn't on TV

The account of the day was started by those stuck in traffic jams. The Guardia Civil had to intervene on the A3 to manage traffic flow. Tractors surrounded Mercazaragoza. Meanwhile, TV coverage was, for many observers, non-existent or delayed. Some argue that media serve political parties and governments; others point to a roadmap deciding what gets reported and when. The debate quickly moved to an uncomfortable place: whether the agricultural sector is right, and if their protests are legitimate or useful to opponents.

CAP, small subsidies, and the food business

The economic core of the issue is the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). Some defend that the CAP exists precisely to guarantee European food autonomy in case of crisis; others recall that the European countryside is completely subsidized and that free market rules aren't applied equally. The most circulated comparison: farmers receive small subsidies, intermediaries and markets do not. Hence the paradox repeated in every mobilization: those rejecting the subsidy system end up asking for more subsidies. And a warning hovering over the debate: if food ever becomes scarce instead of masks, we will see what happens.

The real origin of fruit and trade war with France

One of the most uncomfortable contributions points out that some products sold as Spanish come from Segarro: they are packaged and distributed here without complying with European regulations, yet presented as national. If true, boycotting French milk would be unfair, because that milk complies with regulations and its origin is indeed France. The discussion gets tangled with quotas, production excesses allowed to other countries, and unfair competition within the EU itself. Some call for stopping ferries arriving from Segarro. A complete breakdown of quotas and origins, product by product, would fill a treaty.

Who wins and who loses from the blockade

The agricultural sector is not homogeneous. There are small and medium producers, unable to withstand losses, being taken over by big capital. There are intermediaries. There are self-employed hauliers joining the strike. And there are citizens suffering the traffic jams. The question running through the issue is whether blocking roads harms fellow countrymen or those who designed unjust laws. The answer is not unanimous: some believe no change happens without pressure; others think the damage falls on themselves. Meanwhile, the Government gave €115 million to olive groves in Segarro. There is money there, but it depends on where and for whom.

The dominant narrative: far-right sphere, ultra-right, and Agenda 2030

Within hours, the media framing shifted toward the predictable: protesters are far-right, against Agenda 2030, part of the "fachosfera" (far-right online sphere). Even Catalans. The label works as both argument and shield. Against this, another current argues that agriculture is the last sector producing tangible goods and that food independence is a matter of national security, not ideology. Television, meanwhile, continues as usual.

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The rural protest won't be resolved by blocking roads nor by ignoring it on screen. If the CAP ends and free market rules apply to everyone, the sector feeding the country will have to compete with those who don't trinc the same rules. The most prudent prediction: the conflict will remain open, with more tractors on the road and fewer cameras on the shoulder.