Seville, (EFE).- The Andalusian Minister of Agriculture, Carmen Crespo, regrets that the Minister of Agriculture, Luis Planas, does not preside over the meeting of the national drought table because “a political table is required where decisions are made high level”.
Speaking to journalists in the Andalusian Parliament, Crespo expressed his surprise that the meeting, which is being held in Madrid, is being chaired by the Undersecretary of Agriculture instead of Luis Planas in “such difficult moments” of prolonged drought that is causing great damage to livestock and agriculture and once again calls for a bilateral meeting with Luis Planas.
The requests of the Junta de Andalucía at the meeting of said table, which was attended by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPA), the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (Miteco), the autonomous communities, Cooperativas Agro -Alimentarias de España, the agrarian organizations Asaja, COAG and UPA and the national federation of irrigators (Fenacore), go through asking the government to “leave its shoulder because the Board cannot face this situation alone”, says Crespo.
Specifically, Andalusia asks the Ministry to anticipate 90% of the CAP aid in October instead of 70%, as is usually done, and for the Ministry to use the crisis reserve, as well as tax benefits for farmers and ranchers through discounts and bonuses.
Run water projects
It has also demanded that the Ministry of Agriculture mediate with the Ministry of Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, competent in hydraulic works of interest to the State pending in Andalusia that have great weight for the countryside, and has referred to the execution of the projects of the Pipelines from Rules, Siles or the Alcolea Dam.
Likewise, it is committed to making progress in the Almanzora and Carboneras desalination plants, in Almería; in the region of Axarquía and in Marbella and has specified that the European Next Generation funds are an opportunity for these works.
In this regard, it asks the Ministry of Agriculture to intercede to get Next Generation funds to end leaks in the supply network as agreed with the Ministry for Ecological Transition, since it has pointed out that the budget directed to this task is currently 12.6 million while the applications processed by the municipalities of Andalusia amount to 70 million.
Likewise, remember that the Board has two drought decrees and another will be released next week and demands from the State “a new drought decree expanded to the needs of farmers and ranchers of the Guadalquivir”, where producers, among other measures, “They are asking for rafts and polls to give water to the cattle.” EFE