Peruvian farmers call for a national strike on Tuesday, December 29
Carlos Ravines Oblitas, the president of the National Board of Users of the Hydraulic Irrigation Sectors of Peru, said that farmers had called for a 24-hour national agricultural strike on December 29 to protest against the lack of government support for family farming and to demand greater state aid.
“Currently family farming and the water sector are abandoned and the government's disinterest is becoming more and more noticeable. We have asked our bases to abide by the strike in a peaceful manner and keeping the required social distancing,” Ravines said.
In Peru, family farming contributes 70% of the food sold in the domestic market and generates 83% of the agricultural sector's employment, employing more than two million people. This sector contributes approximately 11% of the national GDP.