Mallorca farmers want tourist tax for water, rural pool ban

Five per cent of annual tourist tax revenue for farm water: Mallorca’s farmers are pressing for the money as they seek changes to a draft farming law. The union Unió de Pagesos de Mallorca made the demand on Thursday, 1 October, after the Balearic regional government approved the draft last Friday. It says the bill has useful ideas but does not do enough to keep working farms financially viable.

Rural pools and local produce

The union wants its share of the Sustainable Tourism Tax spent on reclaimed water suitable for farming. It also wants grants from the tax for maintaining the landscape brought back.

On rural land, it wants food production to take priority and new swimming pools banned. The union is also calling for the tourism sector’s minimum share of local produce purchases to be protected and raised to 10%.

More help for small farms

The draft distinguishes between priority and preferred farms. The union says priority farms should see a real difference when they apply for support and resources. It also wants enough help for small professional farms to keep going.

Farm support should reflect not just the area worked, it says, but income, work generated and the value a farm adds. The union welcomes the wider range of farm-related activities allowed in the draft, but wants clear rules so farmers can process what they grow and sell it directly.

Topics: Agriculture · Tourism · Politics · Economy

Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com