The Minister of Agriculture, Water, Livestock and Fisheries, Miguel Barrachinaassured this Tuesday that the Government chaired by Carlos Mazon It will speed up the payment of drought aid, which farmers and livestock breeders in the Valencian Community will receive “directly, without waiting or bureaucratic procedures.”
This was stated at the end of the meeting he held with the Federation of Agricultural Cooperatives and Professional Organizations, to inform them of the direct aid plan being prepared by the Consell, which amounts to 17 million euros, of which 15 for rainfed agriculture and two million for livestock.
The meeting was attended by Cirilo Arnandis, president of the Agro-Food Cooperatives, Carles Peris, general secretary of La Unió, José Francisco Sales, head of technical services of AVA ASAJA, Ramón Espinosa, technical secretary of ASAJA ALICANTE, Ricardo Bayo, general secretary of UPA, Josep Ramon Duato, organizational secretary of CCPVCOAG, Barrachina explained that all these organizations “are a fundamental element to guarantee success and that the aid can reach 30,000 beneficiaries in record time.”
“This direct aid aims to prevent the abandonment of land. “No one should go asking for help, we don’t want anyone to be left behind,” Barrachina stressed, after recalling that this is the first time that in the Valencian Community direct aid has been ordered due to drought for arid lands and livestock.
“We are talking about aid that can reach 500 breeders and 29,500 farmers and this can benefit 175,000 hectares. Carlos Mazón’s Council wants to guarantee the viability of farms and face possible food supply problems, which is why it cannot be postponed to adopt an emergency plan and offer the sector the necessary support to face the current situation.
This is why, in the words of the minister, these direct aids have been articulated with the greatest possible administrative speed for sectors such as the production of meat and milk, beef, sheep and goat meat under an extensive or semi-extensive regime, and all rainfed crops, which have been strongly affected by the lack of rain and the reduction in water reserves.
Administrative simplification
The advisor insisted that urgency and special characteristics of this aidrequires the adoption of certain administrative rationalization and simplification measures, which justify the application of the emergency procedure in the granting and use of electronic means for its processing.
Regarding the amount of aid, it is estimated that on average each livestock farm will receive 4,000 euros, while agricultural farms will receive between 200 and 4,500 euros in the case of herbaceous crops and up to 1,200 in the case of permanent crops.
Barrachina regretted that the Ministry of Agriculture had refused four times to launch an aid line or additional measures to alleviate the drought. “Once again, this Consell, alone, takes the side of farmers and ranchers in the arid areas of the Valencian Community. Faced with a situation of need, this government comes to the rescue.”
