cattleFEGAINCA DEMANDS A GREATER FINANCIAL STATEMENT AND A MORE EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION OF POSEI FUNDS.

The Federation of Livestock and Industrialists of the Canary Islands, Fegainca urges both the Government of the Canary Islands and the Ministry of Agriculture to update pending payments to producers, whose farms are on the brink of closure.

The Federation of Livestock and Industrialists of the Canary Islands, Fegainca, has denounced that the Canary Islands livestock sector has not yet received more than 24 million euros corresponding to the Specific Options Program for Remoteness and Insularity (Posei) of the year 2013, whose payment is the responsibility of the Government of the Canary Islands.

Farmers draw attention to the “unsustainable debt” that crosses most of the livestock farms on the islands, and reiterated their demands to both the Government of the Canary Islands and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and environment, so that they can catch up on pending payments to producers, improve the position of animal production within the aid of the European Union and articulate an aid distribution system that adjusts to the reality of the agricultural sector.

“The claims of the ranchers are common to the seven islands, well it's next to fishing, the only subsector present in the entire Canary Islands”, they asserted, At the same time, they added that this non-payment in the middle of May contrasts with the situation of other subsectors., “that in June of last year they even received an advance of what corresponds to them”.

For Fegainca, the ideal is to increase the financial record that the Posei de Canarias has, so that livestock farming would see its real needs compensated, although if it is not possible, They believe it is essential to proceed to a fairer distribution of existing funds.

And the fact is that livestock farmers are harmed despite having a greater volume and economic value., In addition to being the only ones present in the entire archipelago. For this reason, they reminded the Ministry to consider a distribution system adjusted to the real production values ​​of the Islands., and ensure that the system of payments and advances applied by the Government is the same for all producers.

Given the proximity of the European Elections, remember that the livestock sector, and especially sheep and goats, is in a very complicated situation in the Canary Islands.

In fact, they assure that there are exploitations in cases of extreme need, in which cattle die due to lack of inputs. “Many of the owners of the farms have ended up losing their businesses by extending the mortgage loans on their homes to feed the livestock., and not being able to cope. Even so, they have remained heavily indebted to both credit institutions, as with your suppliers”, they emphasize from Fegainca.

The federation maintains that the debt of the regional government with the Canarian ranchers derives from the non-payment of State aid approved by the European Commission since the year 2009. “This is a problem that affects both provinces, and that it is necessary to proceed with immediate payment of the outstanding amounts so that business owners can catch up with their suppliers”, recalcaron.

For this reason, They insist on their request to the Ministry of Agriculture and the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands so that the payment of aid to livestock farming is carried out diligently and within the first dates of the legal period established by the EU..