MADRID, 15 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas, has announced that the Government will create a state food information and control agency to reinforce the inspection of infractions throughout the food chain, as well as greater surveillance of imports of third-party markets.

As explained by the head of the branch, the agency's objective is to increase, from an administrative point of view, the capacity that the autonomous body of the Ministry of Agriculture currently has with the same name as the state agency.

Planas made the announcement at the conclusion of his meeting of more than two hours with several agricultural professional organizations amidst protests and rural tractor movements that have intensified in recent days. Specifically, he has met with the Agrarian Association of Young Farmers (Asaja), the Coordinator of Farmers and Ranchers Organizations (COAG) and the Union of Small Farmers and Ranchers (UPA).

A meeting that the minister has described as "positive" and that has continued the meeting that the Government held with these organizations a few days ago to respond to the demands of the sector.