BRUSSELS SHIFTS GRANT EXCEPTIONAL AID.

The Department of agriculture, Livestock, Fishing and Food of the Government of the Canary Islands informed the FEDEX and ACETO Associations last Thursday, that Brussels is considering granting aid on an exceptional basis, with the possibility of being paid this same year.

In addition, The Commission is studying the granting of permanent direct aid to tomato producers in the Archipelago within the framework of POSEI, at the proposal of the Autonomous Community.

The counselor, Pilar Merino, and the Deputy Minister of agriculture and livestock, Alonso Brook, They conveyed to those attending the meeting the results of the meetings held on the days 26 and 27 January at the community headquarters, among them with the Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, Mariann Fischer Böel.

Regarding the aid corresponding to POSEI, would be granted considering that the Canary Islands, As an ultra-peripheral region, it is affected by its remoteness, insularity and other handicaps derived from this condition, that determine greater difficulties for production and marketing.

After the presentation of the Tomato Export Strategy, The European Union has determined that the current problems faced by this crop in the Islands are inherent to its high production costs., Therefore, it is necessary to articulate economic measures that allow us to face the situation..

In any case, was transferred to the sector that the work that has been reflected both in the Strategy and in the proposal to modify the POSEI to 2009 requires that the sector present all the required documentation, to be approved by the Management Committee next March.

On the other hand, The representatives of the sector valued the information provided and agreed that this aid will mitigate the crisis they are going through.. In addition, They were satisfied that the situation shown in the Tomato Strategy has had this first consequence, which will alleviate your current lack of liquidity.