The delegate of the Government of Spain in Andalusia, Pedro Fernández, has today valued the approval in the Council of Ministers of 300 million euros in direct aid aimed at farmers so that they can reduce the cost in the purchase of fertilizers, “a measure that will also allow to maintain the volume of crops and with it the profitability, which shows that this Government continues to support the primary sector”.
Pedro Fernández recalled that this measure is in addition to those already implemented by the State to deal with the economic consequences of the war in Ukraine, such as the more than 40 million euros in direct aid to Andalusian beef, sheep and goat meat producers, meat poultry, cuniculture, milk producers and for the citrus sector. “In short, 41.4 million destined to guarantee the future of the first sector in Andalusia”, he added, recalling other fiscal measures, such as the reduction of modules in the income tax 2021, and the subsidy in the contracting of agricultural insurance, “something essential in the face of the uncertainties arising from climate change”, he said.
“The agricultural sector is particularly affected by the drought and by the increase in costs resulting from the war in Ukraine and the Government of Spain is aware of this, so each step it takes is aimed at ensuring the profitability of producers, crops and the present and future supply of citizens.”
The Council of Ministers yesterday approved the authorisation of the payment of EUR 300 million in aid to holders of agricultural holdings in compensation for the increase in the price of fertilizers accumulated in recent months. The maximum amount of aid will be EUR 22 per hectare for rain-fed areas and EUR 55 per hectare for irrigated areas.
The measure is part of the Government's firm commitment to support farmers, farmers and fishermen since the Russian invasion of Ukraine 11 months ago, who have had to cope with very significant increases in production costs.
The Spanish Agricultural Guarantee Fund (FEGA), in charge of instructing the aid, will pay it directly into the accounts of the beneficiaries, who will not have to do any additional procedure to request them. This is the same procedure that was already used by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to pay the aid to milk producers for 169 million euros included in the first package of measures to deal with the consequences of the war in Ukraine that the government approved last March.