“You can’t talk all the time depopulation, abandonment farming and put more and more obstacles to stay in the rural environment”, exclaims ASAJA president Ramón Artime. These are not easy times for the countryside, and the latest controversies come with new developments. Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)It will mobilize approximately 600 million in the Principality for the new period 2023-2027.
“They are selling us that there are more funds, that the Cantabrian Coast is PAC and that is a lie”defends Artime. According to the calculations of the agricultural organization, with the new package of European funds for the countryside, dairy farmers’ incomes are expected to decrease between 20% and 30% compared to last year’s income. the reason is this: new formula for calculating aid to professionals: so-called eco-regimes (previously eco-regulations, basic aid for sustainable income) will mean a “very significant” reduction in the amount that farmers receive with the basic payment plus the green payment, now being abolished and replaced by the old.
“Eco-programs do not compensate for loss of revenue due to requirements. forcing farmers to spend significant more than possible aid receivedBearing in mind that PAC 2023-2027 comes with greater environmental demands”, emphasizes Ramón Artime.
The new OTP was announced from the moment it began to be formulated as the “greenest” in history. aims to benefit sustainable farms, respectful to the environment and integrated with the region. This happens by opting for activities that not all Asturias farms meet and therefore meet such requirements. Time to spend on getting fit.
The head of ASAJA warns that the main victims are dairy farmers. And certain crops are “more expensive and yielding” will not be commensurate with the investment“There are also changes in mowing along with bans on certain lands in Asturias when they were traditionally hay.
He criticizes it today as well as complaints about cuts in ASAJA. Deadline for applications for aid to the OTP has not been set. “In other communities it can already be done from March 1st. Term ends May 31st, so it’s back for another year to take over. The possibility of a single call for 5 years of PAC has been considered, but no. to have us do the paperwork every year. they preferred”, criticizes Artime.
An increasingly complex paperwork. The principality is conducting a series of informative talks about the new PAC across the region to keep up with the news, an initiative that ASAJA considers to serve “more than anything else to mislead the farmers”. Artime, their “waste of time” and claims that invest in providing technicians to help ranchers meet all demands. “If you want to help the countryside, you have to pay attention to what people really need,” he concludes.