The countryside industry is sharply aware that arguments about depopulation, abandonment, and farming pressures cannot be resolved by simply piling up rules that make living in rural areas harder. This view is echoed by Ramón Artime, the president of ASAJA, who stresses that current times in the countryside are challenging and that the most recent debates bring fresh developments. The Common Agricultural Policy, known as CAP, is set to mobilize around 600 million euros in the Principality for the 2023-2027 period, signaling a significant financial orchestration aimed at rural sectors. Yet the money promises are met with skepticism from farmers who fear promises may not translate into real gains on the ground. Artime argues that many are being sold a narrative of more funds and a thriving Cantabrian Coast under PAC, a claim he regards as misleading given the structural changes taking place in how aid is calculated and distributed.
According to ASAJA’s calculations, the new slate of European rural funds is likely to reduce dairy farmers’ incomes by a substantial 20% to 30% compared with last year. The core reason lies in the reformed calculation method for aid to professionals, which introduces eco-regimes that replace the older eco-regulations, greens, and basic payments. This shift is described as resulting in a very significant drop in the combined basic and environmental payments. The old model, which mixed basic payments with green payments, has been replaced by a framework that promises a different balance but frequently translates to smaller checks for farmers who rely on these supports to cover daily costs and investments. These changes are framed as part of a wider move to align subsidies with environmental performance and sustainable farming goals, but the immediate impact for many producers is a tighter margin to work with.
Artime emphasizes that eco-programs do not compensate for revenue losses caused by the new requirements. The new CAP framework imposes higher standards, and with it, farmers are asked to invest more time and resources than the received aid appears to justify. The unfolding CAP 2023-2027 agenda reflects a push toward more stringent environmental obligations, which some farmers view as burdensome rather than supportive, particularly when budgets and cash flow do not grow in tandem with the new demands. The result, as described by Artime, is a climate of increased effort with uncertain or limited financial relief, especially for dairy operators who face a broad range of operational costs and market pressures.
The plan introduced as OTP, or the new program, is being marketed as the greenest ever devised. Its aim is to favor sustainable farms that are sensitive to the environment and integrated with regional ecosystems. The strategy envisions shifts toward activities that not all Asturias farms can readily meet, which raises questions about fairness and feasibility. The pacing of compliance and the time required to adapt become critical issues even as these farms seek to become more efficient and resilient. The question of how much time and money must be invested to reach these new standards remains central to farmers who fear being left behind if they cannot meet the evolving criteria.
Artime warns that the most immediate pain will be felt by dairy producers. For certain crops, the costs of new requirements may outpace the returns from investment, making some traditional crops less viable under the new rules. He also notes changes in mowing practices and restrictions on some land areas in Asturias that have historically served as hayfields, highlighting how seemingly modest regulatory shifts can ripple through farm routines and planning. The overall effect, he argues, may be a reconfiguration of what kinds of crops and practices are economically sustainable under CAP 2023-2027, potentially reshaping the rural landscape and prompting a reevaluation of agricultural strategies across the region.
The timing of the OTP’s implementation is another source of concern. While some regions can begin submitting aid applications as early as March, the official deadlines in Asturias have yet to be set, creating a sense of uncertainty among farmers who must coordinate planning, budgeting, and crop cycles without clear guidance. In other communities, the process has already advanced, but the local schedules here are still unsettled. The possibility of a single five-year call for PAC was discussed, but the decision favored annual submissions, effectively requiring farmers to manage yearly paperwork rather than a longer, consolidated plan. Such administrative demands are viewed by Artime as heavy and repetitive, adding another layer of burden on already stretched farmers who rely on clear, practical guidance to navigate the funding landscape.
In response to these complexities, the principality has begun a series of informational talks about the new CAP across the region. ASAJA describes these sessions as valuable for keeping farmers informed, yet critics argue they may create more confusion than clarity if the message becomes overly technical or detached from real farm experiences. Artime contends that the outreach may end up consuming time rather than delivering practical help, and he advocates allocating resources to hiring and training technicians who can assist ranchers in understanding and meeting all requirements. His closing point is straightforward: if the goal is real support for the countryside, the focus must be on listening to what people genuinely need and delivering tangible, on-the-ground assistance rather than bureaucratic processes that distract from productive work.