Regarding criticism of the Mar Menor law, he maintains that “the problem of the lagoon is not only one of agriculture, but we must all be part of the solution”
The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas, said Monday in Jumilla, when asked about the Tajo-Segura Transfer, that “we have the volume of water that we have and it is up to us to manage it efficiently and consistently, and that is what we do”. “This is an issue already known by the Government of the Region of Murcia and it is up to all of us to work together, without confrontation,” said Planas, who made an official visit to the town hall and two wineries in the Altiplano town.
Regarding the complaints of the regional president, López Miras, for not being invited, the minister indicated that “the Jumilla PDO, being made up of municipalities with two appellations of origin, depends directly on the Ministry of Agriculture, and some time ago, the president He visited me in Madrid and I promised to get to know the area up close and hold a meeting with them. As a result of that commitment, here I am today, as simple as that, without controversy, just a day of work between the Ministry that I direct and the Jumilla Denomination of Origin».
Luis Planas also spoke about the recent complaints from the agricultural sector towards the regional law of the Mar Menor: “It is clear that the problem of the lagoon does not only belong to agriculture and does not depend on farmers, but we must all be part of the solution, and that is pursued and that is where we are with this regulation ».
Support for the appellation of origin
Luis Planas visited Jumilla to show his “support for a designation of origin that is an example of work and management, and above all of things well done, which has managed to stabilize the vineyard area and production.” In addition, he also said that “its growth and agreements with third countries are also worth mentioning and are also an example.”
The Minister of the Government of Spain first passed by the City of Jumilla, where he was accompanied by the Government delegate in the Region of Murcia, José Vélez, and was received by the mayor, Juana Guardiola, along with members of the municipal corporation. He had an informal meeting with them and commented on the different initiatives that are directed from his department, especially for municipalities where “the agri-food industry is so important, with wines as the maximum exponent, but also fruit trees such as the Ercolini pear or livestock and cheeses Murciano-Granadina goat’s milk”, where both products are protected by denomination of origin.
He then went to the headquarters of the Regulatory Council, where the president of the winery entity, Silvano García, and its general secretary, Carolina Martínez, were waiting for him. There he met with the full members of the PDO Jumilla, who raised the problems that most affect them, such as water resources and promotional campaigns both in the national market and in other countries. In this sense, Luis Planas highlighted “all the support and recognition towards the 42 wineries and more than 1,600 winegrowers, you work in the same direction as the Ministry of Agriculture and are achieving important achievements, with the Support Plan for the wine sector, promoting exports, promotion and restructuring of the vineyard, because a sector is only sustainable if it is profitable».
The minister announced that in 2024 there will again be more than 200 million euros for the wine sector, as well as collaborating with investments in the modernization of irrigation or precision agriculture and greenhouses. In this regard, he especially highlighted the agreement reached just a few weeks ago with the Thai government to promote pear and table grape exports.
Regarding the food chain law, Planas pointed out that it has not even reached its first anniversary, “but important steps have already been taken, it is clear that it cannot be sold at a loss and I do not agree with those who criticize this law, since if it did not exist, everything would be much more difficult and putting it into practice is up to everyone, the sector and administrations, and that is what we are working on».
To finish, the president of CRDOP Jumilla, Silvano García boasted that “the Jumilla brand is much more powerful than a few years ago and that is thanks to the efforts of the wineries and the winegrowers, we must continue working for the profitability of all parties , because of the markets and tastes have changed and we have been able to adapt”, and went on to say that “in recent times we have promoted several promotional campaigns, which is one of our main missions in addition to safeguarding quality, and for this we need the help from the administrations, and especially from the Ministry on which we depend».
After the meeting at the DOP Jumilla Regulatory Council, the minister learned first-hand about the work and innovation, research and development projects of Bodegas Juan Gil and the BSI cooperative, where his official visit to Jumilla has ended.
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