Once the work of harvesting the harvest is practically finished, and despite the high temperatures that remain at this point in the month of September, the Spanish farmer is preparing these days for the imminent start of the winter cereal sowing campaign, which accounts for the majority of crops in the territory during this time. To do this, the soil is adapted by tilling in order to leave the land with a structure without excessive shocks and with sufficient moisture to be able to plant the seed. In the first steps, the tractor is essential, which is later joined by the combine to neatly sow the appropriate dose and eliminate weeds, pests and diseases, in addition to adjusting the fertilizer, according to the needs of the crop. In a very controlled manner, the grain will increase in size, with the introduction of nutrients, until it reaches the appropriate maturity for harvesting around the month of July.
This almost millimetric work has been carried out for decades by Lorenzo Ribera on a farm of 160 hectares (40 of which are irrigated) in Peleas de Abajo (Zamora), with about 235 inhabitants. At 66 years old, he shares ownership of the land with his two brothers in a cooperative system and has enough experience to have suffered all types of circumstances in the countryside. However, and avoiding falling into the prejudice of catastrophism generally associated with the agricultural sector, the veteran producer has no doubts in the diagnosis: "I have never known a situation like the current one."
The latest official data on the price of agricultural diesel - and it is from September 7 - places the increase in agricultural diesel costs at 45.6% compared to seven months ago, when the war in Iran began. The historical maximum has reached, and surely today surpassed, €1,405/liter. This is not a one-time situation, Lorenzo clarifies: "We have had four very tough campaigns, since the beginning of the Ukrainian War." It is precisely in the aid that the EU established to alleviate the situation in this country - one of the world leaders in cereal production - more than 40.2 million tons per year - where this farmer places the key to the deterioration of Spanish producers: "I am in favor of solidarity with Ukrainian farmers, but the situation there has become entrenched, there is no end to the conflict in sight and the measure of not applying tariffs is not harming us very much." Added to all this is that 50% of all Ukrainian cereal production is derived from our country ("and not France or Germany, with much lower percentages, because they want to protect their crops, not like here," he laments). The result: sales prices at rock bottom and national production stored in warehouses or, at most, sold below the cost of production.
Spain produces around 26.64 million winter cereals (wheat, barley and oats in the 2025 campaign), but "the accounts don't work out," criticizes Lorenzo: "The logical thing would be that from there only the tons necessary to supply the needs of our country would arrive, which could be about five million tons, but they are allowed to send much more, and that drives prices down and ends up sinking us." In 2024, Ukraine was the main origin of grain imported to Spain, through the Black Sea ports, with shipments worth 2,120.97 million euros. In 2025, the figure rose to 4,279.1 million euros.
This Zamorano farmer also complains that this permissiveness does not have a direct impact on the Ukrainian farmer but on the large foreign investment funds that were made at a very economical cost with very productive lands in Ukraine, capable of having a production of 9,000 kg per hectare (Spain around half). The complaint extends to the lack of application of the safeguard clauses to balance the market and be able to protect the national product: "It is going to cost me to produce around 800 euros per hectare and then they will surely pay me 600 euros for the cereal produced in that area, so it is impossible to stay like this," he calculates. The forecast, with the rise in diesel prices these months, is much worse: "Filling a tank for my tractor used to cost me about 2,000 euros, now it has shot up to almost 4,000, double that." The consequence is clear: "It is unfeasible, the land cannot be plowed with these prices, we cannot hold on like this, it is impossible for us to lift our heads," he admits. For example, Castilla y León had a production deficit of 3,000 kg of winter cereal and 200,000 hectares less. The calculations for this new one that is now beginning are terrible: "There is a lot of disenchantment between us, we have been like this for many years," Lorenzo acknowledges.
Javier Fatás (60 years old), an Aragonese cereal farmer with 270 hectares, suffers the same situation. "The crazy rise in fuel and fertilizers leads many of us to consider not planting this campaign or, in any case, to do so under minimal conditions to comply with the CAP aid regulations and nothing more, without risking, going to the basics," he points out bluntly. From a family tradition, with his own production since he was 20 years old, Javier points to a monthly expense of between 10,000 and 12,000 euros on the tractor tank for winter sowing.
