Balearic fertiliser aid falls short, farmers warn

Fertiliser aid is falling short for farmers on the Balearic Islands, the Unión de Pequeños Agricultores y Ganaderos (UPA) says after the first list of recipients was published. On 4 September, the farmers’ union said the money cannot cover the sharp rise in fertiliser costs. Baleares and La Rioja are the only autonomous communities to have announced extra funds to top up the central government support.

UPA welcomed the aid but said the amount was clearly not enough to meet the extra costs facing farms. It called on other autonomous communities to step up, arguing that they hold responsibility for agriculture but have so far failed to back the sector.

The union is waiting for a further list of recipients. It says it had already warned in July that farmers faced problems applying for and accepting the aid, and its request to extend the deadline was rejected.

UPA said talks with the Ministry of Agriculture did secure one change: the minimum payment per recipient was cut to 100 euros, from 300 euros in other aid schemes. That allowed many smaller farmers to receive some support.

The union also wants European action to keep fertiliser available at an affordable price in both the short and long term. It said the European Commission’s plan, presented in May, disappointed the sector because it was vague, lacked ambition and had too little funding.

With the next sowing campaign approaching, UPA said geopolitical uncertainty remains unresolved and farm profitability is still at risk.

Topics: Agriculture · Politics · Economy

Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com