Asaja claims new PAC will turn “hundreds of Alicante farmers” out of aid

“This hat does not bet on improving productivity or the quality of our productsand its unreasonable environmental and digital requirements will leave hundreds of Alicante farmers out for failing to comply with the new obligations and complicate the bureaucracy,” says Asaja-Alicante president, Jose Vicente Andreu.

“What doesn’t make sense is that, ukraine war -with the consequent increase in inputs- inflationbetween Threatened to terminate Tajo-Segura transferimpose a CAP on us leaving us even more vulnerable Compared to third countries, among other things, they demand a reduction of more than half of phytosanitary products and impose barriers on the use of fertilizers,” insists the agricultural leader, “lower crop productivity is expected, which may affect the price and therefore consumption of our fruits and vegetables”.

But in addition to Asaja, they point out that many Alicante farmers will be excluded from direct aid, especially because of necessity. Requires being registered as self-employed in the farming regimeAccording to Lorenzo Chinchilla, an economist and university professor, a technician with the Alicante agricultural association, smallholders in Alicante dominate part-time farmers and, in the general regime, the self-employed because they devote themselves to other activities.

The expert adds that farmers will also have to take advantage of it. ecological regimes although theoretically voluntary compliance, because if not done, after the green payment is removed, the beneficiary loses 25% of the amount of aid he has made. For the Chinchilla, the implementation of these regimens will mean more operating costs and it is very likely that an lower crop yield, with income deduction other than CAP assistance. These voluntary regimes include extensive grazing practices on pasture surfaces, crop rotations, and vegetative or inert covers and sustainable mowing of pastures on no-till (crop land) and woody products.

Another controversial issue is ban on cutting and pruning trees and hedges According to Asaja, between March and August as determined by RD 1049 Conditionality issued at the end of December 2022 for the new PAC, which “directly damages citrus and olive groves, two emblematic crops in the province of Alicante.” 53% in production according to the organization after the EU signed an agreement with Morocco in November in which Brussels will transfer 600,000 euros to allow the North African country to plant 115 600,000 new olive trees, among other trees, after a new decline and registration for the cultivation of olive groves in Alicante. A black year with an alarming decline of more than (from 44,234 tons in 2021 to 20,747 in 2022) and economic losses of 50.8% (from 14,540,018 to 7,160,665 euros).

In addition, this new PAC allows all farmers and growers to maintain a digital ledger where they can record their phytosanitary treatments and treatments every 15 days; For this, they need more advanced technologies or the continuous support of managers who can dedicate themselves to this purpose. .

For all these reasons, Asaja-Alicante has decided to increase the frequency of informative agricultural conferences, which it usually organizes in different municipalities of the state, in order to bring industry news closer to its partners and in particular to convey the most accurate advice. in the face of the big changes introduced by the new OTP.