The Government of Spain, through the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, announced 444.5 million euros in aid to alleviate the damage caused by Dana in the municipalities of ‘zone zero’, an amount that since The Valencian Farmers Association (AVA-ASAJA) calls it “insufficient”in addition to demanding more additional measures “that respond to the true needs of the agricultural sector.”
From AVA-ASAJA they have cautiously received the package of 444.5 million euros, since Dana has affected more than 49,000 producers and 70,000 hectares.
Although they value this immediate response plan, which includes aid to restore crops, livestock and machinery, they consider that these measures are insufficient and request reinforcement, such as zero interest loans, subsidies for specific treatments and an infrastructure reconstruction plan agricultural, so that farmers and ranchers can resume their activity effectively and safely.
Distribution of aid
In order to know the scope of the aid announced by the Government, it is necessary to know its distribution. Who they are addressing and where they come from.
The first of them is related to the compensation of income and production losses: 200 million euros will be dedicated to compensating farmers and ranchers that have suffered losses of more than 40% in their production, and will be channeled through the Spanish Agrarian Guarantee Fund (FEGA) and will complement the funds already provided for in Royal Decree-Law 6/2024.
To recover the productive potential, a game of 180 million euros to finance the restoration of farms damaged agricultural lands and the replacement of unused machinery. In addition, it includes cleaning, clearing debris and reconstruction of rural infrastructure.
Also coming into play are credits and guarantees, through a financing line 60 million euros that will help farms overcome the effects of the damage suffered.
And with the aim of support food distribution, there is a budget of 4.5 million euros which guarantees supply in affected areas through donations and logistical support.
It should be noted that other fiscal initiatives are added to this set of measures, such as exemptions and reductions of modules, designed to relieve pressure on the agri-food sector in these emergency circumstances.
Farmers’ demands
From AVA-ASAJA they positively value the Government’s efforts, although they consider that the aid is insufficient to cover the real needs of the affected farmers and ranchers. Therefore, demands that this aid be expanded and proposes the following measures:
• Increase in direct aid to increase the amount allocated to the recovery of agricultural and livestock farms.
• Zero interest loans that have several years of grace period to facilitate the economic recovery of those affected.
• Subsidies for fungicide treatments, with the aim of preventing the proliferation of diseases in damaged crops.
• Specific plan for irrigation entities that helps communities and companies in charge of irrigation to restore service.
• Reconstruction of roads and infrastructurewhich require an urgent and adequate repair plan.
• Program replanting with sufficient funds to replant devastated plots.
• Expansion of municipalities beneficiaries in which all areas with agricultural conditions are included in the scope of this aid.
• 20% increase in compensation of agricultural insurance and thus increase compensation for farmers in line with the measures for other insured assets.
• ‘Renew’ Plan for agricultural machinery, to help replace machinery damaged by DANA.
• Fiscal measureswhich include the imposition of zero modules, exemptions in social security contributions and the rural IBI to alleviate the financial burden of the sector.
However, AVA-ASAJA calls on the authorities to “adjust aid to the real needs of an agricultural sector that faces a scenario of serious damage, and to prioritize the comprehensive and rapid recovery of farms,” they claim from the Valencian association,
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