Formed the Working Committee to undertake the new Strategic Plan Tomato.

Para el sector es de vital importancia disponer de un nuevo Plan que permita corregir los incumplimientos del anterior, que expiró el pasado mes de diciembre.

From 900 productores y 1.708 He has. a comienzos del Plan (2009/2014) se ha pasado a 228 productores y 780 He has. en la presente campaña.

The Canary Islands government, a través de la viceconsejería de Agricultura y Ganadería, ha constituido la Comisión de Trabajo para abordar la redacción del nuevo Plan Estratégico de Tomate de Exportación de Canarias.

Esta Comisión ha quedado formada por el viceconsejero de Agricultura, Alonso Brook, técnicos de la viceconsejería, representantes de las patronales FEDEX y ACETO y un delegado de la Plataforma por la Defensa del Tomate, Fruits and Vegetables Canary Islands.

The development of a new Plan was one of the demands that the Platform for the Defense of Tomato demanded from the president of the Government of the Canary Islands, following the non-compliance that occurred with respect to state aid and the drastic cut in transport compensation.

How will you be remembered, The execution of this Strategic Plan coincided with the crisis, which translated into drastic cuts in state aid, to the point that the Government of Spain and the Government of the Canary Islands stopped contributing the corresponding amounts.

Despite the non-compliance, almost all the producers that remain active made a considerable effort, betting on the modernization of infrastructure.

In this way, have managed to deal with the pests and viruses that have affected tomatoes exorbitantly, obtaining higher yields and quality in crops.

This meant that they could maintain 11.000 direct jobs, with very specific characteristics that make reintegration unfeasible.

This fact has confirmed that the primary sector, and in particular the tomato, has managed to cushion in an extraordinary way the effects that the crisis has had on other sectors, such as construction.

The first meeting of the Labor Commission, in addition to updating the figures, evaluated the results of the Strategic Plan, whose main consequence has been the abandonment of the activity for more than 670 producers, with the consequent destruction of jobs.

In these five years of validity of the Strategic Plan, among whose objectives it was intended to avoid the collapse of productions, has gone from 1.708 hectares at 780 He has. of the current campaign.

Also, In these five years of 900 producers and 150.000 tonnes exported, have been reduced to 98.000 tons and 228 campaign producers 2013/2014.

The tomato sector continues to be the main export activity for the Canary Islands, understanding as such the business carried out with other countries, which in this case are mainly from our environment.

The Provincial Employers and the Platform for the Defense of Tomatoes, Fruits and Vegetables of the Canary Islands trust that the new document can be ready in a few months.