The president of the Generalitat, Carlos Mazonassured that he would defend before the European Union next Thursday, October 3, “the interests and importance of agriculture of the Valencian Community”, while demanding “greater guarantees and legal security that the Valencian agricultural sector deserves”.
During the presentation of the opinion on agricultural competitiveness to the Committee of the RegionsCarlos Mazón will defend mirror clauses and the principle of reciprocity “so that Valencian agriculture can compete under the same conditions as other countries”.
Likewise, he stressed that he would address the challenges of agriculture such as drought, unfair competition and excessive bureaucracy and that he would try to “promote a comprehensive strategy that strengthens the competitiveness of the agricultural sector European”.
The head of the Consell will ask the European Union “to don’t turn your back on Valencian agriculture» and the adoption of urgent measures so that “it continues to be a strategic, viable and future sector”, as the Generalitat indicates in a press release.
Likewise, it will look at the “good work” of farmers and defend “the tradition, history, sustainability and value of agriculture to ensure territorial balance and economic activity”.
Carlos Mazón stressed that the Valencian primary sector “is a priority for the government of change” and showed the commitment of the Generalitat to “fight for the just demands of our farmers” and to continue “to support, protect, maintain and promote with real and effective measures” this productive fabric because it constitutes “one of our main characteristics.
The presentation of the Opinion on Agricultural Competitiveness before the Committee of the Regions is part of the Generalitat’s roadmap for the defense of agriculture in Brussels. It started last March, with meetings with the sector, and continued in April with the act of protest by representatives of primary sector associations in the European Parliament.
“Efficiency and speed” against drought
The president will also appeal to the “cooperation between regions» and “support from public administrations” and will present the initiatives launched by the Consell such as the direct and extraordinary aid decree endowed with 17 million euros so that farmers and breeders in the Community can cope with the damage caused by drought.
In this sense, he highlighted “the efficiency and speed” with which the Consell acted and argued that “only 48 hours after the approval of the decree-law, the list of almost 30,000 direct beneficiaries has already been published 29,500 farmers and 500 breeders, and the amounts corresponding to them.
Among the approximately 30,000 dryland and extensive farmers, around 16,000 are from the province of Valencia, 8,000 from Castellón and 6,000 from Alicante, and the measure will benefit 175,000 hectares.
