Menorca farm tourism expansion threatens farmers, PSOE says

On the island of Menorca, farms offering tourist stays can expand their area by 20 per cent under a recently approved agricultural law, the local Socialist Party (PSOE) says. Its secretary-general, Pepe Mercadal, warned on Saturday, 10 October, that the change could push farming and livestock rearing aside. The Consell de Govern approved the law recently.

Mercadal says more tourism is not the answer to farms’ problems making a profit. He also wants to know who would receive the extra income. Under some farming arrangements on Menorca, farmers and owners share the proceeds from crops and livestock. Mercadal says the People’s Party (PP) has not said whether farmers would also share income from additional tourist places.

The PSOE sees another possible problem on working farms: animals, machinery and working hours may bother guests. If guests complain, an owner could face a choice between keeping the farm running and accommodating tourists, the party warns.

Instead, it wants policies that help farms earn more from their work: new techniques to produce more on the same area of land, better production processes and turning raw materials into higher-value products.

Topics: Agriculture · Tourism · Politics

Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com